Snow and ice are set to sweep the UK as the Government upgrades its weather warnings for much of the country.
The UK Health Security Agency upgraded a number of alerts from yellow to amber today as Britain is hit with a blast of cold air from northern Scandinavia. The Met Office has also issued an urgent snow and ice weather alert covering 800 miles of the UK warning of possible injuries from falls, as well as travel chaos.
The North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber are now under the higher alerts, while yellow cold-health alerts are in place for the East Midlands and West Midlands. All the warnings last until December 5.
Snow has already fallen across Scotland and east England, as far south as Norfolk. Some areas under the weather agency’s warning could see as much as 10cm of snowfall – although forecasters say most areas will only see 1-3cm of the white stuff.
KEY EVENTS
‘Britain’s first smart home’ looks beautiful in a sprinkling of snow
A historic Victorian building has been pictured dusted with snow.
Cragside, a National Trust-owned house “filled with Victorian gadgets” has been caught up in the wave of snow sweeping the country.
Considered to be “Britain’s first smart home”, the National Trust website reads: “Man-made lakes, tumbling waterfalls and swathes of rhododendron combine to form the surrounding fantasy mountain landscape imagined and engineered by inventor and arms manufacturer Lord Armstrong and his wife Lady Margaret.”
Sharing several stunning images of the home, the charity said: “Cragside is looking magical with a light sprinkling of snow.”
Tracker shows latest weather
A live tracker shows how the weather will develop as the week progresses this week.
Snow has already hit northern regions of the country and is set to move further south, forecasters say.
Dangerous driving conditions in Whitby
A video shared to X, formerly Twitter, appears to show brutal driving conditions in Whitby, Yorkshire.
The Met Office has advised caution when driving and urges Brits to check the forecast before taking the car out.
Amber warnings issued by government in ‘cold health alert’
The government’s UK Health Security Agency has put “cold health alerts” for the central and northern parts of England, running from yesterday at 6pm to 5 December.
For the northern parts of England, an amber alert is in place. This predicts significant impacts to the sectors with an increased risk to people aged 65 and over and with underlying health conditions.
For the Midlands, a yellow alert is in place warning of minor impacts to the health and social care sectors, with an increased risk of death amongst vulnerable people.
On the UK as a whole, it states: “Conditions across the UK are forecast to turn increasingly cold through the week with overnight frosts becoming sharp and widespread with only limited recovery of temperatures by day.”
Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: “With a risk of widespread overnight frosts and some snow across the country this week, it’s important to check in on the wellbeing of those most vulnerable to the cold.
“Cold weather can have a serious impact on health, particularly older people, and those with pre-existing health conditions, as it increases the risks of heart attacks, strokes, and chest infections.
“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 in, such as your living room or bedroom.”
Met Office products snow could even reach Hampshire
The Met Office has said snow showers are expected on the North Sea coast, including Scotland and the north east of England, from Wednesday and heading into the weekend – but may reach further south as the week progresses.
The rest of the UK will see frosty weather from Tuesday.
Oli Claydon, a spokesperson for the Met Office, said: “There will be snow showers but we are not likely to see significant accumulation on the ground.
“We could see some snow moving into southeastern parts of the UK towards the end of the week, including Hampshire.
“However, it may also remain dry.”
Good morning
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of snowfall across the UK. Don’t forget to check back for the latest updates on where the white stuff is falling across the country.
- Support fearless journalism
- Read The Daily Express online, advert free
- Get super-fast page loading
Source: Read Full Article