Warning: Yellow

To expect: Ice

Affected areas: Northern Ireland

Start time estimate: Wednesday 3am

End time estimate: Wednesday 10am

The Met Office has issued a Yellow ice alert for Northern Ireland for Wednesday.

A Yellow weather alert is in effect on Wednesday, starting from around 3am and running until 10am. The forecast indicates slick conditions due to ice formation in the affected regions.

The Yellow warning for ice was issued at 10:21am on Tuesday, January 27.

A Met Office forecast said: “Clearing skies Tuesday night will allow temperatures to fall below freezing on Wednesday morning and, after the recent very wet weather, icy patches are likely to develop on some untreated surfaces.”

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.

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 Wednesday.