Warning: Yellow
To expect: Snow
Affected areas: East Midlands, North East England, North West England, Yorkshire and Humber
Start time estimate: Thursday 3pm
End time estimate: Friday 3am
The Met Office has issued a Yellow snow warning for several regions across the UK.
The warning is covering parts of East Midlands, North East England, North West England, Yorkshire and Humber. All local areas affected are listed below.
Snowfall is set to hit the regions, beginning at around 3pm on Thursday and clearing by 3am on Friday.
The Yellow alert for snow was issued at 11:29am on Thursday, February 5.
A Met Office forecast said: “Rain moving north across England today is expected to increasingly turn to snow over higher ground through the afternoon and evening. The snow will continue overnight and into Friday morning, although the altitude at which snow settles should steadily rise above that of most major trans-Pennine routes during the early hours of Friday. While some sleet or snow is possible to lower levels for a time this evening, accumulating snow is mostly likely above 250 to 300 m with up to 5 cm possible. Much of this melting during Friday morning after the warning ends. Some places above 500 m may see 5-15 cm.”
What to expect
Some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services.
What should you do?
Snowy, wintry weather can cause delays and make driving conditions dangerous. Keep yourself and others safe by planning your route, giving yourself extra time for your journey. Check for road closures or delays to public transport and amend plans if necessary. If driving, make sure you have some essentials in your car in the event of any delays (e.g., warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch, ice scraper/de icer, a warning triangle, high visibility vest and an in-car phone charger). Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area. For further details see Met Office Warnings & Advice.
Full list of local areas affected
East Midlands
Derbyshire
North East England
Durham, Northumberland
North West England
Cheshire East, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire
Yorkshire and Humber
North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire
What is a yellow weather warning?
The Met Office has three categories of weather warning, depending on the likely impact of severe weather and also how likely it is to strike in a particular area.
A yellow warning is issued when weather conditions are expected to disrupt travel and traffic and may impact on daily routines but are not likely to pose a risk to life or property.
An amber warning is more severe and advises people to think about changing their plans to minimise the risk.
A red warning means weather conditions are expected to be dangerous with widespread damage to property and a risk to life, with the public usually advised to avoid travelling.
The Yellow weather alert for snow will remain in effect until 3am on Friday.