More weather warnings for UK as Brits face cold, ice, and snow, with blizzards to come

17 December 2022, 15:35 | Updated: 17 December 2022, 19:08

This weekend Brits face more wintery weather, with parts of the country likely to be hit with severe cold, ice and snowy conditions with blizzards expected across northern areas.

Yellow warnings were issued for today predicting ice by the Met Office for large parts of England, including the North West, North East and South West, Wales and Scotland.

Forecasters cautioned the conditions could result in disruption to travel.

Currently, the office only has a warning in place for northern Scotland.

Yellow warnings of snow and ice are also in place across northern England and most of Scotland for tomorrow, and there are ice warnings Wales and central, eastern and southeast England.

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The UK Health Security Agency (HSA) put out a level three cold weather alert, which applies to England as a whole until midnight tomorrow, and includes a warning that the conditions could"increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services".

Met Office deputy chief forecaster Helen Caughey said: "The northerly airflow and cold conditions which have dominated our weather patterns over the last 10 days will start to lose ground to a push of mild air from the southwest on Sunday.

"As the mild air meets the cold air currently in situ over the UK there will be a transient spell of snow, potentially to low levels, especially in the north.

"Add to this the risk of rain falling on to frozen surfaces, and strong winds over upland areas of northern Britain, bringing blizzard conditions, and this could be a day to avoid travelling in some areas, although the snow should turn to rain later.

"There is also a brief risk of a period of freezing rain most likely to impact areas from the Pennines northwards, which could result in some power interruptions."

Temperatures are expected to rise tomorrow, the it could bring blizzards to some areas of the UK, with freezing rain and ice causing poor travel conditions.

Homes across the country are also at risk of burst pipes due to temperature increases.

Peter Jenkins, director of campaigns at Water UK, said: "The last thing we want is for people to experience further disruption as temperatures rise this weekend, putting many homes at risk of burst pipes due to freeze-thaw.

"That's why we're urging everyone to check their water pipes are well insulated now and to follow our simple tips to protect homes against weather conditions.

"If you're concerned about the impact of freeze-thaw or the cold weather, we encourage you to get in touch with your water company for further help and advice."

Parts of Scotland experienced problems due to the weather yesterday, with Glasgow Airport shutting its runway temporarily, and some schools in Aberdeenshire, the Highlands, Perth and Kinross closed their doors.

Around 1,600 properties on the Shetland were left without power following heavy snow which brought lines down earlier this week.