Warning: Yellow

To expect: Snow and ice

Affected areas: South West England, Wales

Start time estimate: Monday noon

End time estimate: Tuesday 11am

The Met Office has announced a Yellow snow and ice warning for South West England and Wales for Monday and Tuesday. All local areas affected are listed below.

The regions will be approached by wintry showers, which are predicted to start impacting the areas on Monday at around noon before dying out at 11am on Tuesday.

The Yellow warning for snow and ice was announced at 11:03am on Saturday, January 3.

A Met Office forecast said: “Scattered sleet and snow showers will continue to feed southwards through Monday afternoon and evening, particularly near western coasts but occasionally spreading farther inland. Whilst not all areas will be affected, some small snow accumulations will be possible, with the greatest chance across parts of Pembrokeshire, Camarthenshire and Ceredigion where 5-10 cm could accumulate, especially in the vicinity of the Preseli Mountains. Hail is also possible in some showers, which may may lead to locally slippery conditions. Showers will ease through Monday night, but ice will be a more widespread hazard overnight and into Tuesday morning as temperatures fall below freezing.”

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. Keep yourself and others safe by planning your route, giving yourself extra time for your journey. Check for road closures or delays to public transport and amend plans if necessary. 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. If driving, make sure you have some essentials in your car in the event of any delays (e.g., warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch, ice scraper/de icer, a warning triangle, high visibility vest and an in-car phone charger). 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

South West England
Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth, Torbay

Wales
Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Swansea, Wrexham

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 snow and ice will remain in place until 11am on Tuesday.