Britain braces for blizzards: Met Office warns of ‘treacherous conditions’ as heavy snow and 60mph winds hit UK

10 March 2023, 00:22 | Updated: 10 March 2023, 00:29

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

Brits are once again bracing for heavy snowfall as Storm Larisa looks set to batter parts of the the UK with blizzards and gales of up to 60mph on Friday.

The Met Office has issued three amber warnings for northern England, the Midlands, North Wales and Northern Ireland, where "significant disruption" to transport and power supplies is expected.

An amber warning means that there is a "potential risk to life".

Three yellow warnings for snow also cover much of the rest of the nation, with the exception of southern England and western Scotland.

Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said the storm, which has been named by the French weather service, is bringing rain and snow to the UK.

"Storm Larisa, which Meteo France have named, is the same low pressure system that is bringing us the bands of rain," he said.

"But essentially, we're on the northern side of the low pressure system and it's the southern side of that low pressure system that is going to be bringing particularly strong winds to parts of France.

"So that did originate out in the Atlantic and then it tracked its way eastward towards us, and the weather fronts that are swirling around that low pressure system have then been pushing into the cold air that has been in places across the UK and allowing that rain to start falling as snow across several areas."

A 'Do Not Travel' alert has also been issued, while National Highways issued a "severe weather alert" for snow across the North East, North West and Midlands regions until 8am on Friday.

Forecasters warned that the heavy snow could cause "significant disruption" to transport links, cutting off some rural communities.

Meanwhile travel delays are expected on some roads, while power cuts are likely. Mobile phone coverage could also be affected.

Snow has fallen across the UK throughout the week, with disruption starting on Tuesday.

Bristol Airport cancelled 27 morning flights on Tuesday and closed its doors for "snow clearing operations". Passengers at some other airports in the south of England have also been left waiting amid delayed departures.

Tuesday night was the coldest night since 2010, the Met Office said, with an Arctic blast causing the deep freeze.

And forecasters said that the ongoing cold weather and strong winds have "the potential to lead to some blizzard conditions" on Thursday.

Read more: Schools shut as snow blasts Britain: Is your child's school closed? Check the full list here

Read more: Farmer spots 'snow devil' tornado tearing through Scottish field as he feeds his sheep, while Brits shiver in freezing cold

Motorists were told to plan ahead on Wednesday as heavy snowfall caused roads in Surrey and Hampshire to shut, with the downpour hitting much of southern England overnight and in the morning.

National Highways also warned drivers in the West Midlands and eastern England not to travel unless they absolutely have to, and issued a "severe" warning for drivers across the south-east and south-west.

The Met Office also warned of possible travel delays to bus and train services, and said some rural communities could become temporarily cut off.

Network Rail has told passengers to check their journeys before they set off because of the weather, but a spokesperson said there has been "no significant weather-related disruption" on the lines so far.

At least 27 flights due to take off from Bristol Airport on Wednesday morning were affected by snow, and several arrivals have been diverted to Birmingham. The airport reopened at 10.45 this morning staff said there was "ongoing flight disruption".

A spokesperson for the airport said "additional staff are on site to assist with the adverse weather response" and passengers have been advised to check with their airline prior to arriving at the airport.

It came as snow fell in London, the west of England and south Wales early on Wednesday, as Kinbrace in the Highlands saw -15.2C temperatures.

Schools closed across the South East and South West of England, as well as Scotland and parts of Wales.

A yellow warning for snow and ice was in place for most of southern England and southern Wales, lasting until 7am on Thursday.

Snow and ice warnings for Wednesday also cover northern Scotland until 10am on Thursday, as well as a third warning for snow and ice covering north-east England and south-east Scotland from 5pm on Wednesday to 7am on Thursday.

In most places the snowfall will continue until Friday, with a yellow warning for snow covering all of the UK north of Birmingham spanning from 7am on Thursday until 2pm on Friday.

Snow falls over Windsor Castle

Read more: Snow to sweep the UK on the coldest day of 2023 so far as temperatures fall to -10C, with London to be hit this week

Meanwhile, Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said that a pocket of western Scotland covering Glasgow and the county of Argyll may be the only region untouched by heavy rain and snow over the next 24 hours.

He said the worst of the weather is expected in north-west Wales and northern England, where "gusts of easily 50mph" are on a collision course with "30 to 40cm of snow".

Mr Burkill said: "The combination of heavy snow and gales is why we're likely to see blizzards and drifting snow which causes extra hazards on the roads.

"In places covered by amber warnings, there will be very difficult, treacherous conditions.

"Ideally, avoid travelling in those periods - but if you have to head out then be aware that journeys could take significantly longer."

Met Office spokesperson Nicola Maxey said the minus 15.4C temperature recorded on Tuesday night meant it was the coldest in March since 2010.

Drone footage of Glastonbury Tor as snow hits parts of the UK

Up to 15cm (just under 6in) of snow is predicted to fall across higher ground in northern England, with "in excess of 25cm (just under 10in)" likely in the Scottish Highlands.

Temperatures could plummet to minus 3C in London on Wednesday night, and minus 5C in Edinburgh.

The lowest predicted temperature of minus 12C is expected to be felt in Aviemore in the Highlands.

"Untreated pavements and cycle paths might be impassable with a chance of injuries from slips and falls on snow-covered or icy surfaces."

A snow and ice warning was also in place for much of north eastern England and north and eastern Scotland until 10am on Wednesday, and one was in place for Northern Ireland until 9am.

Read more: Emergency coal-fired power stations to be used to avoid blackouts on coldest night of the year

The National Grid implemented emergency plans to avoid blackouts, with two coal powered stations in Lincolnshire feeding into the national grid on Tuesday ahead of what could have been the coldest night of the year.

The Met Office said it could drop to -17C in parts of the UK.

Forecasters said on Tuesday morning that the south of England and Wales could be hit with 1-3cm of snow throughout, with local patches of snow reaching 5-10cm deep.

The cold weather is being driven by the same phenomenon linked to the Beast from the East in 2018.

The UK Health Security Agency asked people to check on vulnerable people during the spell.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, the agency's head of extreme events and health protection, said: "During periods like this, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may be more vulnerable to the cold weather, as it can have a serious impact on health.

"If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat your home to at least 18°C if you can."