Snow and ice warnings are still active in various parts of the UK, as the Met Office warns of potentially disruptive snow moving towards southern England over the coming days. Northern Scotland faces amber snow warnings through Tuesday night, while less severe yellow warnings affect much of the UK until 11:00 GMT. The Met Office indicated that parts of south-east and central England, which are not under current warnings, might experience disruptive snow on Thursday and Friday.
An Arctic cold snap has brought sub-zero temperatures to many areas in recent days, causing widespread school closures across all four UK nations and impacting some flights and train services.
While most yellow alerts across the UK are expected to expire by late morning Tuesday, the amber warnings for Scotland are in place until 19:00. Central and northern Scotland have been warned of heavy snow measuring 5-10cm, with up to 15cm forecast for certain areas. An overnight low of -11.2C was recorded at Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands. The Met Office has advised residents in the area to avoid driving and prepare for possible power outages. They differentiate yellow warnings, suggesting some potential disruptions with minimal impact on daily life, from amber warnings, which indicate a higher risk of travel disruption, power outages, and potential danger to life and property.
School closures have been widespread. Over 330 schools were shut in Wales on Tuesday, with more than 170 in Northern Ireland. In England, 20 schools were closed in Norfolk, and several in Devon planned late openings on Tuesday. Travel was also affected; rail delays occurred on Monday, especially with Eurostar services being unable to reach the Netherlands, and Network Rail Scotland reported "exceptionally deep snow" hindered the progress of snow ploughs. LNER advised avoiding travel between Edinburgh and Aberdeen until 14:00 GMT Tuesday, and train disruptions in northern Scotland are expected through Tuesday, according to National Rail. CalMac Ferries warned of service disruptions on Scotland's west coast throughout the day. Additionally, several main roads in Wales were blocked Tuesday morning. Flights faced interruptions, including at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, which temporarily closed its runway due to snow and ice but reopened later.
Looking ahead, the cold wave appears set to persist, with strong winds and heavy rain potentially adding to the challenges later in the week as a deep low-pressure system moves across the UK.
Although much of southern England has avoided snow so far, the Met Office predicts that snow may fall on higher ground there Thursday and Friday. Meanwhile, northern and central England could face further snowfall, rainfall, and strong winds depending on the Atlantic system's trajectory. Met Office forecaster Aidan McGivern indicated a 20% chance that the system might take a northern route, potentially bringing widespread disruptive wind and rain to much of England and Wales, with possible additional snow in northern England, southern Scotland, and Northern Ireland.