Nearly all of Britain has been covered by snow and ice warnings – and the Met Office is urging people to be prepared for weather chaos.
As the nation prepares for its first taste of snow in 2025, the Met Office has released a list of items drivers must pack in their cars. A host of yellow weather warnings have been issued, with Scotland, Wales and England on alert for disruptive snow fall this weekend.
Some areas are predicted to come off worse than others, with the forecaster saying rain could turn to snow on Saturday and overnight into Sunday. “Whilst there is some uncertainty, any snow in southern and eastern parts of England, especially at low levels, will probably be rather transient before turning back to rain. However, some significant accumulations of snow are possible across parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England in particular, at least for a time, where 5cm or more could accumulate fairly widely,” it says.
It predicts as much as 20-30 cm over high ground of mid and north Wales and potentially 30-40 cm over parts of the Pennines. “This, accompanied by strengthening winds, may lead to drifting of lying snow,” the Met Office warned.
With some parts of the south especially under the warning, but not guaranteed to see snow due to “uncertainty”, some people may still be planning relevant journeys this weekend. And the Met Office is urging people to ensure they have the right items in their car in case they become stranded, or the weather takes a sudden turn, causing lengthy delays.
It says: “Snowy, wintry weather can cause delays and make driving conditions dangerous, so to keep yourself and others safe: plan your route, checking for delays and road closures, amending your travel plans if necessary; if driving, leave more time to prepare and check your car before setting off; make sure you have essentials packed in your car in the event of any delays.”
This includes warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch, ice scraper/de-icer, a warning triangle, high visibility vest and an in-car phone charger.
Currently most of England is blanketed by a yellow weather warning for snow from Saturday at noon until midnight on Sunday. But a separate warning activates on Monday, January 6 for parts of Scotland. The forecaster warned that these alerts and warnings are subject to change with little notice, and added: “Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area.”
