Warning: Yellow

To expect: Ice

Affected areas: Wales, West Midlands

Start time estimate: Wednesday 9pm

End time estimate: Thursday 10am

The Met Office has issued a Yellow ice warning for Wales and West Midlands until Thursday morning. All local areas affected are listed below.

Wednesday sees a Yellow weather alert in effect. Meteorologists warn that patchy frost will develop across the regions from around 9pm. The areas should expect hazardous conditions to last until Thursday 10am.

The Yellow warning for ice was announced at 9:02am on Wednesday, February 18.

A Met Office forecast said: “As areas of rain, sleet and snow gradually clear to the east during Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning and temperatures fall close to or a little below freezing, some ice is likely to develop on untreated surfaces across parts of Wales and western England.”

What to expect

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?

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.

Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary.

Be prepared for weather warnings to change: 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

Wales
Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen, Wrexham

West Midlands
Herefordshire, Shropshire, 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 ice will remain in place until 10am on Thursday.