Overview
- Yellow warnings are active for northern Scotland from New Year’s Day and for large parts of England and Wales from midnight to noon on January 2, with a separate Northern Ireland warning in place early Friday.
- Forecasters expect 1–5 cm for many areas, with 10–20 cm above 200m and locally 30 cm on the highest routes in northern Scotland, alongside strong northerly winds causing drifting and icy patches as showers clear.
- Major population centres, including London, Birmingham and Greater Manchester, fall within the Friday warning area, with the Met Office cautioning of longer road and rail journeys and injuries from slips on untreated surfaces.
- UKHSA amber cold-health alerts are in force across much of England through January 5–6, warning of increased risks to older people and those with health conditions and heightened pressure on health and social care.
- The Met Office says the Arctic air is likely to keep conditions very cold through at least the first week of January, while some private model projections suggest a heavier snow risk around January 8–9 that is not an official forecast.