Overview
- Yellow warnings are in force for northern Scotland from 6am on New Year’s Day to late on January 2, with a further warning covering much of England and Wales from midnight to noon on January 2 and Northern Ireland from midnight to 10am.
- The England and Wales warning includes London, the Midlands, North West, East and South regions, and Wales, with sleet and snow expected to pass through any one place for two to three hours.
- Forecasters expect 1–5cm for many, locally up to 5cm in the England and Wales zone, with 10–20cm in parts of Scotland above 200m and 30cm or more on the highest routes, plus drifting in strong northerly winds.
- Travel disruption is likely with longer journey times and rapidly forming icy patches, and authorities advise leaving extra time and checking routes and services before setting out.
- UKHSA has activated amber cold-health alerts in parts of England including the North East and North West through early January, with yellow alerts elsewhere, and local forecasters stress high variability in snowfall risk such as a low chance in Dorset.