Warning: Yellow
To expect: Snow and ice
Affected area: Multiple, listed below
Start time estimate: Friday 4pm
End time estimate: Saturday 10am
The Met Office has announced a Yellow snow and ice warning for several regions across the UK until Saturday morning.
The warning is covering parts of Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Eilean Siar, North East England, Orkney and Shetland, Yorkshire and Humber. All local areas affected are listed below.
Wintry showers are forecast for the regions, expected to start covering the areas at approximately 4pm on Friday and persisting until 10am on Saturday.
The Yellow alert for snow and ice was announced at 10:23am on Friday, February 13.
A Met Office forecast said: “Showers of snow and hail on Friday afternoon, evening and overnight may lead to accumulations of 1 to 3 cm in places, though some areas will miss these. Sleet is more likely along some coasts, leading to ice on untreated surfaces as temperatures fall below freezing overnight. Wintry showers will mostly die out by Saturday morning.”
What to expect
Some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services; Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces; Probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.
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). Keep yourself and your family safe when it is icy. Plan to leave the house at least five minutes earlier than normal. Not needing to rush, reduces your risk of accidents, slips, and falls. If you need to make a journey on foot, try to use pavements along main roads which are likely to be less slippery. Similarly, if cycling, try and stick to main roads which are more likely to have been treated. 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
Central, Tayside and Fife
Angus, Perth and Kinross
Grampian
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray
Highlands and Eilean Siar
Eilean Siar, Highland
North East England
Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland
Orkney and Shetland
Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands
Yorkshire and Humber
East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North Lincolnshire, North 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 and ice will remain in effect until 10am on Saturday.