Warning: Yellow
To expect: Snow
Affected areas: London and South East England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands
Start time estimate: Wednesday 4pm
End time estimate: Thursday 6am
The Met Office has issued a Yellow snow warning for London and South East England, South West England, Wales and West Midlands across the UK for Wednesday and Thursday.
The warning is covering parts of London and South East England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands. All local areas affected are listed below.
Snowfall is anticipated to impact the regions, arriving across the areas on Wednesday at around 4pm and continuing until 6am on Thursday.
The Yellow alert for snow was issued at 10:02am on Tuesday, February 17.
A Met Office forecast said: “Whilst there is some uncertainty in the details, there is the potential for an area of rain and snow to affect parts of Wales and central England later on Wednesday and overnight into Thursday. 2-5 cm of snow could accumulate quite widely above 150-200 metres, with perhaps as much as 10-15 cm above 250-300 metres in mid and southeast Wales, as well as Herefordshire and Shropshire. Some small accumulations of snow, typically less than 2 cm, are possible to lower elevations, especially from later Wednesday evening into the early hours of Thursday morning. Strong east to northeasterly winds will accompany the wet weather, which could exacerbate impacts in places.”
What to expect
There is a small chance of travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel; There is a slight chance that some rural communities could become cut off; There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.
What should you do?
Snowy, wintry weather can cause delays and make driving conditions dangerous, so to keep yourself and others safe:
• Plan your route, checking for delays and road closures, amending your travel plans if necessary.
• If driving, leave more time to prepare and check your car before setting off.
• Make sure you have essentials packed in your car in the event of any delays (warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch, ice scraper/de-icer, a warning triangle, high visibility vest and an in-car phone charger).
People cope better when they have prepared in advance for the risk of power cuts or being cut off from services and amenities due to the snow. It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items.
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 regions affected
London and South East England
Oxfordshire
South West England
Gloucestershire
Wales
Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen, Wrexham
West Midlands
Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Telford and Wrekin, Warwickshire, West Midlands Conurbation, Worcestershire
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 6am on Thursday.