The Arctic blast that Britain has shivered through is set to turn in to tepid gales over the weekend with temperatures set to hit a mild 12C by Sunday but face 70mph gusts and torrents of rain.
The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for wind and rain across the majority of the UK for Sunday and Monday, saying that: ‘Strong winds are expected to develop widely across the UK on Sunday, persisting into early Monday across parts of England and Wales.
‘Within the warning area, many places are likely to see southwesterly winds gust to around 50-60 mph and gusts may reach 60-70 mph for exposed locations (e.g. coasts).’
The Arctic chill Cold remains dominant over the UK, with snow and ice hazards continuing ahead of the weekend for many in the northern half of the country, especially parts of Scotland, the Met Office has said.
It will start to be displaced from the north and west from Friday, allowing weather conditions to take on an Atlantic influence again with milder air eventually returning.
However, while temperatures will increase from the markedly low figures of recent days, this change in airmass will also introduce a return to much windier weather for Sunday and Monday as well as bring spells of rain, especially in the west.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist David Hayter said: ‘Conditions will stay cold on Friday but a change in weather type is on the way, bringing milder air for the UK during the course of the weekend.
‘This change will initially be relatively benign in terms of weather impacts, with a dry Friday and start to Saturday for many in the south of the UK. The Atlantic influence will then introduce some wet and windy weather, with a deep area of low pressure approaching from the west on Sunday.
‘While detail is still being worked out, we expect windy weather for many and some heavy rain in the west and so we’ve issued warnings for Sunday for wind and rain. Watch out for updates to these warnings on Friday and Saturday as the forecast develops.’
Thick snow and icy conditions in Overwater towards Nenthead, in Cumbria, this afternoon
The Met Office has issued weather warnings for much of the UK for Sunday (left) and into Monday (right), with gusts of up to 70mph expected in parts of the country
Walkers brave the wind and rain in Richmond Park south-west London
Bridlington beach is covered in snow this morning after Arctic weather hit the Yorkshire coast
Walkers wrap up for a frosty stroll through Richmond Park in South West London this morning
Snowy conditions at a very cold Whitby seafront in North Yorkshire this morning
Horses in a frozen field near Dogmersfield in Hampshire today amid sub-zero temperatures
A car drives through the snowy landscape in Alston, Cumbria, today where thick snow fell
A hiker treks through the beautiful snow-covered hills of Alston, Cumbria, this morning
Specialist boats attempt to break the ice on canals near Little Venice in West London today
Walkers out on a bitterly cold morning at dawn by the woods at Dunsden in Oxfordshire today
The Met Office’s weather forecast for Sunday shows possibilities of flooding in the UK
These maps show how a brisk northwesterly wind will make it feel even colder in the UK today
A motorist clears ice from his car windscreen on a street in Cullercoats, North Tyneside, today
Commuters make their way through snowy conditions at Pickering in North Yorkshire today
The Met Office has a series of weather warnings in place today, including an amber alert for snow across northern Scotland, the Orkney and Shetland Islands which runs until 6pm this evening, with the chance of up to 7in (20cm) more snow. It comes as:
- Hundreds of schools were shut in Scotland again today, some for a fourth day;
- All but two trams in Nottingham were out of service due to frozen screenwash;
- People in Northern Ireland were urged not to travel unless ‘absolutely essential’;
- Temperatures will drop to -10C (14F) tonight with another frosty night forecast;
- Wet and windy weather arrives this Sunday with 70mph gusts expected; and
- Then a dramatic 20C temperature swing will sweep away the big chill next week.
The ScotRail network faced disruption between Edinburgh , Glasgow and Inverness; Glasgow, Dundee and Arbroath; Inverness and Montrose; and Inverness and Wick.
In Stoke-on-Trent, a puppy died after plunging through ice and into freezing water at Hanley Park while chasing geese after slipping its harness on Tuesday. Firefighters went into the water to retrieve the dog and had tried to save it with oxygen therapy.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service then urged walkers to ensure they ‘take extra steps to limit the chances of getting into difficulty with frozen water’ – while the London Fire Brigade reminded the public not to walk on frozen lakes and canals.
The coldest place overnight was Tulloch Bridge in the Highlands which fell to -13.6C (7.5F), while Benson in Oxfordshire and Shap in Cumbria both fell to -11C (12.2F). Birmingham, Mildenhall in Suffolk and Yeovilton in Somerset were all -8C (17.6F).
A council snow plough came off the road the road in the Highlands today while trying to clear the carriageway.
The accident happened on the A836 between Altnaharra and Tongue due to the severity of the conditions.
Commenting on Twitter, the Highland Council said: ‘Snow plough has left the road on A836 at Loyal between Altnaharra and Tongue. Crew are safe and uninjured.
‘A vehicle is being mobilised from Lairg to help them back onto the road. The A837 is also impassable between Ledmore Junction and Rosehall. Road expected to close shortly.’
Much of the UK endured temperatures below freezing overnight, with preliminary data from the Met Office indicating the mercury fell to as low as minus 13.6C at Tulloch Bridge in the Highlands.Amber and yellow warnings for snow and ice cover parts of the UK on Thursday, while a yellow weather warning for wind has been issued for Sunday across the UK – except Shetland and south east England.
Amber and yellow warnings for snow and ice cover parts of the UK on Thursday, while a yellow weather warning for wind has been issued for Sunday across the UK – except Shetland and south east England.
The warning runs for 24 hours from 6am on Sunday, and the Met Office warned winds of up to 70mph could hit exposed coasts, with up to 60mph inland.
An amber warning for snow across northern Scotland, the Orkney and Shetland Islands is in place until 6pm on Thursday, with the potential for up to 20cm more snowfall.
All schools are closed in Orkney and Shetland on Thursday amid the wintry conditions, with many of them having now been shut all week.
In addition, more than 200 schools and nurseries are closed on Thursday across the Highland region, around 130 are shut in Aberdeenshire and nine in Moray, while many others had delayed starts.
Other parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland have a yellow snow and ice warning spanning the whole of Thursday, while the north and north west of the UK are likely to see further wintry outbreaks over the next 24 hours.
Passengers on other UK rail routes endured delays due to points failures, signalling faults and broken down trains – while all but two Nottingham trams were out of service due to ‘adverse weather’ which saw the screenwash become frozen.
All schools in Shetland and Orkney were closed due to weather today, while around 130 were shut in Aberdeenshire. In Moray, nine schools and nurseries were closed.
Other parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland have a yellow snow and ice warning for all of today, while the North West of the UK is likely to see further wintry outbreaks.
Separate snow and ice warnings are in place for Wales and South West England until 11am today, and in eastern England until midday today, as both areas could see wintry showers that lead to icy patches. A final yellow ice warning for South East England, including Kent, Surrey and East Sussex, will run until 10am this morning.
A wind warning for 70mph gusts in western areas has been imposed for Sunday, before a dramatic 20C swing in temperatures will sweep away the cold weather and make parts of southern England as mild as the French Riviera by early next week.
Overnight, much of the UK endured temperatures below freezing. This came after the UK had its coldest night of the winter so far on Tuesday into Wednesday, when Dalwhinnie in the Highlands experienced a temperature of -14C (6.8F).
A man cycles through snow at Bonar Bridge in Scotland this morning
The snow covered grounds of Drummond Castle Gardens in Perthshire this morning
Snow covers roads and houses across Bridlington in East Yorkshire this morning
Snow-covered roads in Whitby, North Yorkshire, this morning
Snow along Whitby Harbour this morning with the Abbey in the background
Snowy conditions at a very cold Whitby seafront in North Yorkshire this morning
People make their way along the Basingstoke Canal near Dogmersfield in Hampshire today
Snow at St Michael’s Mount in Marazion, Cornwall, this morning
A woman braves the blizzard conditions while walking in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, today
A street is covered in snow in the town of Bridlington on the Yorkshire coast this morning
A dog walker makes their way across snow on a road at Cullercoats in North Tyneside today
Water in the fountains at Trafalgar Square in London remains frozen over this morning
A woman walks her dog in snowy conditions in Pickering, North Yorkshire, this morning
The day’s sun rises on a bitterly cold and frosty morning at Dunsden in Oxfordshire today
Frost-covered cars today during sub-zero temperatures in Greenwich, South East London
Water in the fountains at Trafalgar Square in London remains frozen over this morning
The day’s sun rises on a bitterly cold and frosty morning at Dunsden in Oxfordshire today
Met Office chief meteorologist Jason Kelly said: ‘With deep snow already lying on the ground for many in the northern half of the UK, we’re going to see a significant topping up of totals over the next couple of days, especially for those in the north of Scotland.
‘Within the amber warning area, an additional 15 to 20cm of snow is possible in a few locations.
‘Strengthening northwesterly winds will also cause some lying snow to drift, potentially bringing some additional hazards, such as temporary blizzard conditions.’
Travel warnings are also in place across Scotland.
On the railways, ScotRail said its local stopping Dundee-Arbroath, Montrose-Inverurie and Inverness-Elgin trains will not run while services between Inverness and Edinburgh/Glasgow will take 30 minutes longer.
Minister for Transport for Scotland Fiona Hyslop said: ‘We know from recent severe weather events that it’s important to plan ahead if you are looking to travel. With the Met Office issuing an updated amber warning for snow in the North Highlands and Northern Isles, travel planning becomes vital.
‘Police Scotland is warning of a high risk of disruption for the parts of the country covered by the amber warning, but yellow warnings can also be impactful and cause delays. Please allow extra time for your journey and consider if it can be delayed until conditions have improved.’
She added: ‘Winter resilience plans have been in full effect with teams across Scotland working overnight to grit the trunk road network for essential journeys. Local roads may also be impacted, so please make sure your route is available, follow the travel advice from Police Scotland and drive to the conditions.’
National Rail warned the wintry weather could affect train journeys today.
The broader National Rail network will be impacted, with Great Northern, Thameslink, ScotRail and South Western Railway already impacted by delays.
In Northern Ireland, people have been urged not to travel unless it is ‘absolutely essential’ because of limited gritting of the roads in zero-degree temperatures as public sector workers walk out in the biggest strike in the region’s recent history.
Another frosty night is forecast into tomorrow, and while it will be breezier with more cloud in places, lows of -10C (14F) will again be likely in some areas.
Wind coming in from the Atlantic in the west will then take charge through tomorrow and into Saturday, bringing much milder, wet and windy weather for the weekend.
Temperatures will initially rise to 11C (52F) in South West England on Saturday.
Benson, in Oxfordshire, which was England’s coldest place on Monday night into Tuesday, falling to -8.3C (17F), is set to reach 13C (55F) during the day by this coming Tuesday, a difference of over 21C.
London could hit 14C (57F) and Manchester 13C (55F).
Britain’s highest temperatures early next week, under the milder air, are set to be on a par with those in Nice, on the south coast of France.
Strong winds and heavy rain are set to accompany the milder weather, however, and a warning for gales has been issued for western England, the whole of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Sunday.
A yellow ice warning for the South East including Kent, Surrey and East Sussex this morning
A snow and ice weather warning for the eastern coast of England is in place this morning
An amber snow warning in northern Scotland, the Orkneys and Shetlands runs until 6pm today
Looking further ahead, Northern Ireland has a yellow ice warning in place for tomorrow
A wind warning for gusts of up to 70mph in western areas has been imposed for Sunday
Winds could reach 60mph inland and 70mph close to Irish sea coasts.
In the yellow warning, which applies from early morning until midnight, the Met Office said flying debris and large waves could cause ‘danger to life’.
It added the gales could cause power cuts and affect mobile phone coverage, as well as leading to public transport disruption, delays and road closures.
Stephen Dixon, spokesman for the Met Office, said: ‘Towards the weekend it’s looking like we will return to a more western influence, so wet and windy as you get to Friday and it will bring temperatures up slightly.
‘As you get towards Saturday you could see maximum temperatures of 11C (52F) in the south west of England, which is much milder than what we’ve seen as of late.
‘By Sunday we would see quite a deep area of low pressure moving in which will bring strong winds and heavy rain.
‘The additional hazards will be snow melting and rainfall on Sunday.’