New Amber Warning Issued as Map Highlights Areas with Potential for Four Inches of Snowfall and Temperatures Plummeting to -12C Tonight

An urgent amber snow warning has been issued for South West England today by the Met Office due to concerns that up to four inches could settle as temperatures plummet to -12C.

The warning was declared shortly before 2.30 pm and became active immediately, remaining in effect until 9 pm tonight. Accumulation of snow ranging from 0.8in (2cm) to 2in (5cm) is anticipated on high ground above 500ft (150m), increasing to up to 4in (10cm) above 800ft (250m).

Meteorologists have cautioned that travel disruptions on roads are probable, potentially leading to drivers being stranded. Moreover, there is a chance of power outages and disruptions in mobile phone coverage.

Delays and cancellations to trains and planes were also possible in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset – while some rural communities could become cut off.

The amber warning comes on top of an existing yellow snow warning covering the South of England counties and parts of London from 9am until midnight today.

Between 0.8in (2cm) and 2in (5cm) of snow could also accumulate widely and as much as 4in (10cm) over higher ground, with sleet expected in South London tonight.

The Met Office said outbreaks of sleet and snow will push in from the South West today – although many places could see little to no snow settling, especially on roads.

Further yellow warnings for snow and ice have also been imposed for northern and western Scotland until midnight tomorrow night and Northern Ireland until 11am tomorrow. A similar warning for Wales will be in force tomorrow from 3am to 12pm.

The Environment Agency had 91 flood warnings and 179 alerts active for England today, while Natural Resources Wales imposed a further warning and four alerts.

Meanwhile hundreds of schools were closed again today due to the severe weather creating dangerous conditions, especially in West Yorkshire with 190 shut in Bradford.

Flooding also continued to impact rail services across England, including Northern trains between Doncaster and Scunthorpe; Great Western Railway between Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall and Merseyrail trains between Hooton and Capenhurst.

It comes after temperatures this morning plunged to -7.8C (18.0F) in Cumbria, with the mercury set to fall further to -12C (10F) tonight and even -20C (-4F) tomorrow night.

The coldest areas are expected to be in northern Scotland and the North of England. 

The UK’s lowest temperature ever recorded was -27.2C (-17.0F) at Braemar in Aberdeenshire on January 10, 1982, and the last time the mercury fell below -20C was in February 2021 when Braemar fell to -23C (-9F).

Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said: ‘Weather conditions will start to change from the South West on Wednesday, with fronts from the Atlantic bringing milder air along with moisture.

‘As this moisture encounters the cold air, snowfall is expected particularly over higher ground and away from the coast. However, there is still uncertainty about how far north these fronts will reach. They could either skirt the south or move into southern England.’

Forecasters said tomorrow and Friday will bring continued low temperatures with snow and ice warnings ‘likely to be issued as confidence in the most likely impacted areas increases’.

The Met Office added that more snow is possible on Saturday, but milder air will have moved in across much of the UK by Sunday meaning rain is more likely than snow.

BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood tweeted this morning: ‘It’s another cold start with the risk of ice this morning. BUT tonight (Wed) parts of N Scot and N Eng could get down to -12C. Thursday night -20C is possible on higher elevations in N Scot, and -10 to -15C in parts of N Eng and N Scot.’ 

Meanwhile the Environment Agency (EA) estimates that more than 41,000 properties have been protected from flooding across England since New Year’s Eve, but at least 300 properties have flooded.

Snowmelt has brought further disruption to parts of England, particularly in the Midlands, following the heavy rainfall over the New Year that saw significant river and surface water flooding across the North West of England and Yorkshire, the EA said.

Floods minister Emma Hardy said: ‘My sympathies go out to the people, businesses and communities impacted by the recent flooding across the country.

‘I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the vital work that the Environment Agency and emergency services are doing to keep people safe. People must continue to follow their advice and sign up for flood warnings.’

A danger-to-life warning was issued yesterday but later removed for the River Soar near Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, where people living in caravan parks were urged by the EA to act, with a large-scale evacuation needed to save lives.

Dozens of people have been rescued by firefighters across Leicestershire since Monday, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said.

Homeowners on Belton Road in Loughborough were stranded on the first floor of their semi-detached houses yesterday after rising water from the nearby Grand Union canal flooded the street.

It comes after Manchester, Bristol, Aberdeen and Liverpool John Lennon airports were forced to suspend flights for a period yesterday because of the conditions.

Stefan Laeger, flood duty manager at the EA, said: ‘Environment Agency teams continue to be out on the ground, operating flood defences, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding, issuing flood warnings and supporting those communities affected.

‘We urge people to remain vigilant over the next few days and advise anyone travelling to be especially careful and urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water as just 30cm (1ft) of flowing water is enough to move your car.’