UK weather: Amber warnings for snow and ice after temperatures fall to -8.1C
2025-01-03
Category: news

Amber warnings for snow and ice have been issued for large areas of England and Wales this weekend, bringing "hazardous" travel conditions.The new, more severe warnings cover northern England, the Midlands and much of Wales from 18:00 GMT on Saturday until midnight on Sunday.It comes after temperatures fell to as low as -8.1C early on Friday, after southern England experienced its coldest night of the winter.Health Secretary Wes Streeting told BBC Breakfast "it is definitely a weekend to turn the heating on", after charity Age UK said the weather would bring the winter fuel payment cuts "into sharp relief".
The weather warnings include:A yellow warning for ice covering all of Scotland, including the Orkney and Shetland Islands, apart from the south-east, north-west England, East Midlands, parts of North Wales and northern areas of Northern Ireland from 16:00 GMT on Friday until 10:00 GMT on SaturdayAn amber warning for snow and ice for northern and central England and most of Wales from 18:00 GMT on Saturday until noon on SundayAn amber warning for snow covering cover northern England from 21:00 on Saturday until midnight on SundayA separate yellow warning for snow covers most of Scotland, except the far north, from midnight on Sunday until 12:00 GMT on Monday
The amber weather warnings issued by the Met Office say there could be power cuts, travel disruption and some rural communities could be cut off.The cold weather comes as NHS chiefs warn the number of people with flu in hospital in England rose sharply over Christmas.Latest data shows there were 5,000 patients in hospital with the virus at the end of last week - almost 3.5 times higher than the same week in 2023.Professor Julian Redhead, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said the low temperatures brought by the "extreme cold snap" can be dangerous for people who are vulnerable or have respiratory conditions.Benson in Oxfordshire recorded the UK's lowest temperature of -8.1C on Friday morning, after southern England experienced its coldest night of the winter.Elsewhere in England, temperatures dropped to -7.5C in Shap, Cumbria, and -6.7C at Bournemouth Airport.In Scotland, the lowest temperature was -6.4C in Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway, while in Wales, it was -5.1C in Usk, and Northern Ireland recorded -5.7C in Katesbridge.
How to keep babies warm during cold weather and other winter tipsHow to drive in snow and icy weatherHow do cold weather health alerts work?Watch BBC Weather forecast for the week ahead
BBC Weather forecasts that 20-40cm of snow could fall across northern England and southern Scotland from late Saturday into Monday, which could cause "significant disruption".Temperatures in towns and cities across the UK were expected to fall below freezing overnight on Friday into Saturday morning, with significantly colder conditions in rural areas. There could be some freezing fog patches in the Midlands and East Anglia.On Saturday evening, snow is forecast in parts of southern England, Wales, the Midlands in England and Northern Ireland.On Sunday morning, snow is expected in parts of northern England, Northern Ireland and southern Scotland especially over higher ground where the snow is expected to be quite disruptive.Later on Sunday, temperatures are expected to be milder in parts of the country, reaching 13C in London in contrast to Aberdeen where it could be just 2C.
Amber cold weather health alerts warning of a risk of a rise in deaths are also in place for the whole of England, with one local NHS service urging people to avoid going out early in the morning when the frost is thick.The amber cold health alerts cover the whole of England but are not in place for the rest of the UK.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issues the alerts when temperatures are likely to affect people's wellbeing, in particular those who are elderly or have health conditions.The alerts provide early warning to healthcare providers, and suggest actions such as actively monitoring individuals at high risk, and checking that people most vulnerable to cold-related illnesses have visitor or phone call arrangements in place.
Age UK's director Caroline Abrahams said the cold weather would bring the government's decision to limit winter fuel payments "into sharp relief", and added the charity had already been contacted by people "worrying about what to do".She urged older people "to do everything they can to stay warm" including risking spending more on their heating. Ms Abrahams added energy companies had "an obligation to help" those struggling and there may be support from local councils too.When asked about the cold weather and cuts to winter fuel payments, Streeting pointed out Chancellor Rachel Reeves had protected winter fuel allowance for the "poorest pensioners" - those in receipt of pension credit. The cut aims to save £1.5bn a year."And, of course, the triple lock on pensions is guaranteed so the state pension is higher this weekend than it was last year, and will be higher further still next year,", he told BBC Breakfast. "I would certainly agree that this weekend is a weekend to layer up and put the heating on as well."The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said on Thursday that no fresh postcodes had been triggered for cold weather payments.Payments of £25 are made to eligible households when an area's average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0C or below for seven consecutive days.
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