Warning: Yellow

To expect: Snow and ice

Affected areas: North East England, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders, Yorkshire and Humber

Start time estimate: Wednesday midnight

End time estimate: Thursday 11pm

The Met Office has announced an updated Yellow snow and ice warning for several regions across the UK for Wednesday and Thursday.

The warning is covering parts of North East England, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders, Yorkshire and Humber. All local areas affected are listed below.

The regions will be approached by wintry showers, which are predicted to start impacting the areas on Wednesday at around midnight before clearing at 11pm on Thursday.

The updated Yellow warning for snow and ice was issued at 11:32am on Tuesday, November 18.

A Met Office forecast said: “Wintry showers feeding inland from the North Sea through Wednesday and Thursday may give some snow accumulations in places, especially farther inland away from the immediate windward coast. Whilst there will be a lot of regional variation, with some places seeing little or no lying snow, where showers are most frequent accumulations of 2-5 cm are possible. However, the North York Moors, and perhaps parts of the Yorkshire Wolds, could potentially receive 15-25 cm of snow by Thursday, leading to some significant disruption. Gusty winds and perhaps a few lightning strikes may accompany some of the showers, posing as additional hazards. Where showers persist and/or snow partially thaws and then refreezes overnight, this will bring a risk of ice.”

What to expect

Possible travel delays on roads stranding some vehicles and passengers; Bus and train services may be delayed or cancelled, with some road closures and longer journey times possible; Some rural communities could become cut off; A chance of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces; Untreated pavements and cycle paths might be impassable; Power cuts may 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. Keep yourself and your family safe when it is icy. Plan to leave the house at least five minutes earlier than normal to reduce your risk of accidents, slips, and falls. If making 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

North East England
Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland

SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
Scottish Borders

Yorkshire and Humber
East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North Yorkshire

What is an updated 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 11pm on Thursday.