PA MediaAmber warnings for snow and ice have been issued for large areas of England and Wales this weekend, making travel conditions “dangerous”.
The new, more severe warnings cover much of northern England, the Midlands and Wales from 18:00 GMT on Saturday until midnight on Sunday.
It comes after temperatures fell to -8.1C early on Friday, as southern England experienced its coldest night of the winter.
Snow and freezing rain are forecast to result in power outages, travel disruptions and disconnections in some rural communities.
Weather warnings include:
- A yellow warning for snow covering the Orkney and Shetland Islands, northwest England, the East Midlands, parts of North Wales and northern Ireland, covering almost all of Scotland until 16:00 on Friday. GMT until Saturday morning at 10:00 GMT
- An amber warning for snow and ice is in place for central England and much of Wales from 18:00 GMT on Saturday until Sunday afternoon, potentially bringing “dangerous travel conditions”.
- An Amber Warning for Snow Covering Northern England from 21:00 GMT Saturday until midnight Sunday
- A separate yellow warning for snow covers most of Scotland, except the far north, from midnight Sunday until 12:00 GMT Monday.
The cold weather comes as NHS chiefs warn of the number of people. In England, there was a sharp increase in hospital admissions with the flu during Christmas.
The latest figures show there were 5,000 patients in hospital with the virus last weekend – about 3.5 times more than the same week in 2023.
Professor Julian Redhead, the NHS’s national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said the low temperatures brought on by the “extreme cold snap” could be dangerous for people who are frail or have respiratory conditions. are suffering
“This is definitely a weekend to turn on the heating,” Health Secretary Wes Streeting told BBC Breakfast, following the charity Age UK’s decision to cut winter fuel payments for pensioners. The weather will bring the policy into “sharp relief,” he said in response to questions about .
Benson in Oxfordshire recorded the UK’s lowest temperature of -8.1C on Friday morning, as southern England experienced its coldest night of the winter.
Elsewhere in England, temperatures fell to -7.5C in Shrop, Cumbria and -6.7C at Bournemouth Airport.
In Scotland, the lowest temperature was -6.4C in Eskdalymuir, Dumfries and Galloway, while in Wales, Usk recorded -5.1C, and Catesbridge in Northern Ireland recorded -5.7C.
BBC Weather has predicted that northern England and southern Scotland could get between 20 and 40cm of snow from the weekend into Monday, which could cause “significant disruption”.
Temperatures in towns and cities across the UK were expected to drop below freezing on Friday night into Saturday morning, with significantly colder conditions in the countryside. There may be some freezing fog in the Midlands and East Anglia.
Saturday will be largely dry but cold with highs barely above freezing for many. Later in the day, rain will spread across southern England and Wales, moving north-eastwards.
The rain will temporarily change to snow in southern areas and will likely provide little cover in places, particularly on higher ground. But eventually, with light winds, it will quickly turn to rain.
In the area covered by the first Amber Warning, there will be a more persistent period of snow and freezing rain for Wales and the Midlands.
While there is some uncertainty, 3-7cm of snow is expected with 15-30cm on high ground in Wales and the southern Pennines.
Freezing rain – where rain falls on surfaces below zero degrees and freezes immediately – will bring the added risk of icy surfaces.
Lighter winds will then lead to rapid melting of snow and ice across South Wales and the Midlands during Sunday.
In the area of northern England covered by the second amber warning, widespread 3-7 cm of snow will fall with 15-40 cm of ground before easing and clearing by late Sunday.
Later on Sunday, temperatures are expected to remain milder in parts of the country, with London reaching 13C compared to Aberdeen where it could be just 2C.
Amber cold weather health warnings are also warning of an increased risk of death across England, with a local NHS service urging people to avoid going out in the early hours of the morning when it’s freezing cold.
Amber cold health alerts cover the whole of England but are not in place for the rest of the UK.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issues alerts when temperatures are likely to affect people’s health, particularly those who are elderly or have health conditions.
Alerts provide early warning to health care providers, and suggest measures such as active surveillance of high-risk individuals, and testing for those at highest risk of cold-related illnesses. Available who have visitor or phone call arrangements.
P.AAge UK director Caroline Abrahams said the cold weather would bring the government’s decision to cap winter fuel payments into “sharp relief”, adding that the charity had already been contacted by people saying ” What to do” are worried.
He urged older people to “do everything they can to stay warm”, including risking spending more on their heating. Ms Abraham added that energy companies had a “responsibility to help” those who were struggling and local councils could also help.
When asked about cuts to cold weather and winter fuel payments, Strating pointed out that Chancellor Rachel Reeves had protected the winter fuel allowance for the “poorest pensioners” – those receiving pension credits. are going to do The cuts aim to save £1.5bn a year.
“And of course, the triple lock on pensions is guaranteed, so the state pension is higher this weekend than it was last year, and will be higher next year,” he told BBC Breakfast.
“I would definitely agree that this weekend is a weekend to layer up and turn on the heating.”
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said some postcodes had been mobilised. Cold weather pay.
This included some postcodes of Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway, Redesdale in Northumberland and Shap in Cumbria.
Eligible households are paid £25 when the average temperature in an area is forecast to be 0C or below for seven consecutive days.