Amber snow warning as freezing cold snap continues

Wintry weather will continue across the UK on Thursday, with temperatures forecast to fall below freezing overnight and snow and ice affecting some areas.

Met Office yellow warnings are in place for Northern Ireland, northern and central Scotland, and coastal areas of south-west Wales and the south-west, east and north-east of England.

A more severe amber warning will come into force later in the North York Moors and parts of the Yorkshire Wolds, where up to 15-25cm (6-10in) of snow could fall on higher ground.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also issued cold health alerts for England until Saturday, saying there could be “significant” impacts on the elderly and people with health problems.

Areas of It snowed from London to Shetland on Wednesday.

There were dozens of school closures across north-east Scotland and the Highlands, as well as road closures, including at Woodhead Pass between Hollingworth and Flouch in Derbyshire and on the B4391 between Rhyd and Sarn and Pen y Bryn in north-west Wales.

Temperatures on Wednesday night could fall to -5C (23F) in Scotland and northern England, and -3C (26.6F) in other parts of England and east Wales.

With a frost expected, areas where showers or rain and sleet have left the ground wet are at risk of ice becoming a hazard on roads and sidewalks. Forecasters warn that buses and trains could be canceled or delayed.

But conditions are unlikely to resemble those spell of snow and ice this time last year which closed hundreds of schools and saw 12cm of snow in Nottingham.

Over recent decades, the Met Office has noted a decline in the frequency, duration and intensity of cold snaps, clearly linked to climate change. According to the latest Report on the state of the climate, Outdoor, aerial and ground frosts have been reduced by approximately a quarter since the 1980s.

There is yellow warnings for snow and ice on Thursday at:

• Cornwall and parts of Devon, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Swansea until 23:59 GMT

• North East England, South West Scotland and borders of Lothian, Yorks and Humber until 23:59 GMT

• Central and northern Scotland until 21:00 GMT

• Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire until 11:00 GMT

• Northern Ireland until 12:00 GMT

Thursday’s amber warning for North Yorkshire is in force from 03:00 to 21:00 GMT. Forecasters say snow is expected throughout the day, mainly on hills above 100 meters high, and could cause “substantial disruption.”

They say it is possible that some areas, including the North York Moors and the Scottish Highlands, could see what is known as a blizzard.

It is a phenomenon that occurs when thunderstorms form in winter weather and result in heavy snowfall instead of rain.

Meanwhile, in Wales, the snow warning is linked to what forecasters are calling the “Pembrokeshire Dangler”. This is a line of showers that develop over the warmer waters of the Irish Sea and are pushed southwards over the county of Pembrokeshire, in southwest Wales.

Daytime temperatures in most areas of the UK on Thursday will reach between 4C and 6C.

Temperatures are expected to be milder over the weekend and rise to average levels on Saturday.

The UKHSA has issued amber cold health alerts in England until 08:00 GMT on Saturday for the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber, with all other areas under less severe yellow alerts.

The alerts are primarily directed at health and social services, warning of “significant” impacts on the most vulnerable members of the community.

Additional demands may be placed on services to cope with colder weather.