Brits urged to 'wrap up warm' as Met Office issues snow and ice warning - as hundreds of flood alerts remain in place

8 January 2024, 07:25 | Updated: 8 January 2024, 11:39

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

Snow and ice could cause significant travel disruption on the roads and railways this morning, Brits have been warned.

A yellow Met Office weather warning for parts of southern England came into effect this morning as temperatures plummeted towards zero.

Brits have warned to expect travel disruption across London, Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex throughout rush hour, with another weather warning for ice coming into effect from 3pm today.

There was plenty of snow seen falling in Kent this morning, with more potentially on the way next week.

John Hammond, from Weathertrending, told LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast that the snow could be "destructive" in some areas.

"Not a huge amount, but it will look and feel like the middle of winter out there," he said.

Separately, amber cold health alerts have been issued for the North West, West and East Midlands and South West England, which will stay in place until Friday.

These join existing yellow warnings for the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, the South East, London and the East of England.

"A mix of sleet and snow showers will move in from the east later on Sunday night along with temperatures near zero. Given these wintry showers, and also wet surfaces after recent wet weather, some icy patches are likely on untreated surfaces," the Met Office said.

"Additionally a few of the snow showers could turn quite heavy; these probably only affecting a narrow zone but a few places could see 1-3 cm, mainly over the north Downs and on grassy surfaces."

Read more: Pub owner keeps spirits afloat as he enjoys pint of Guinness in waist-high flood waters

The ice warning will expire at 10am on Monday.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, the head of extreme events and health protection at the UK Health Security Agency, which helps issue the cold health alerts, said: "With the Met Office forecasting drops in temperature across the United Kingdom into next week, it is important to check in on the wellbeing of those most vulnerable to the cold.

"Cold weather can increase the risks of heart attacks, strokes, and chest infections, so it can have a serious impact on health, particularly for older people and those with pre-existing health conditions.

"Temperatures are expected to turn particularly cold overnight, as we would expect at this time of year.

"If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65 it is important to try and heat the rooms where you spend most of your time, such as your living room or bedroom, in the coming days."

Read more: Flood victims should be 'reassured' over response, Sunak says despite more than 1,000 homes deluged

An amber warning shows "weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service, and at this level we may begin to see some health impacts across the wider population, not just the most vulnerable; non-health sectors may also start to observe impacts and a more significant coordinated response may be required".

The bad weather comes after days of heavy rain brought by Storm Henk caused rivers to burst their banks in England, leading to hundreds of flood alerts and warnings.

A major incident was declared in Nottinghamshire after the Trent flooded and more than 100 homes were deluged.

Some 50 homes on Alney Island, Gloucestershire were evacuated while about 50 people had to be taken off Hackney Wick in London.