Warning: Yellow
To expect: Ice
Affected area: Multiple, listed below
Start time estimate: Wednesday midnight
End time estimate: Wednesday 11am
The Met Office has issued a Yellow ice warning for several areas across the UK for Wednesday.
The warning is covering parts of East Midlands, East of England, London and South East England, North West England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber. All local areas affected are listed below.
On Wednesday, a Yellow weather alert is in effect from midnight until 11am. The forecast suggests the regions concerned will experience hazardous conditions due to ice formation.
The Yellow alert for ice was issued at 11:40am on Tuesday, November 18.
A Met Office forecast said: “Outbreaks of rain will spread southwards on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, potentially falling as snow on hills for a time, before clearing to the south. As skies clear later, allowing temperatures to fall close to or below freezing, this will bring the risk of icy patches on untreated surfaces. Some temporary slushy snow deposits will be possible where snow persists for long enough, especially on grassy surfaces, but any significant accumulations will be largely restricted to communities and transport routes above about 300 m elevation.”
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 regions affected
East Midlands
Derby, Derbyshire, Leicester, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
East of England
Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Luton
London and South East England
Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Reading, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham
North West England
Blackburn with Darwen, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Halton, Lancashire, Merseyside, Warrington
South West England
Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Wiltshire
Wales
Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen, Vale of Glamorgan, Wrexham
West Midlands
Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Warwickshire, West Midlands Conurbation, Worcestershire
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 ice will remain in place until 11am on Wednesday.