Warning: Yellow

To expect: Snow and ice

Affected area: Wales

Start time estimate: Wednesday noon

End time estimate: Thursday 11pm

The Met Office has announced an updated Yellow snow and ice warning for Wales for Wednesday and Thursday.

Snow will blanket Wales. The snowfall is predicted to approach the area on Wednesday at around noon, and it will persist until Thursday 11pm.

The updated Yellow alert for snow and ice was issued at 12:02pm on Thursday, November 20.

A Met Office forecast said: “Wintry showers will feed southwards across southwest and northwest Wales through Thursday, moving inland on brisk northerly winds. Some snow accumulations will be possible in places, mostly above 200m away from the immediate windward coasts. Where showers are most frequent accumulations of 2-5 cm are possible on hills above 200 m in Pembrokeshire and west Carmarthenshire. Gusty winds and hail may accompany some of the showers, and where showers persist and/or snow partially thaws and refreezes on Thursday evening and night, this will bring a risk of ice.”

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, 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). 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. 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. People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance. 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: 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.

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.