Overview
- Yellow warnings for snow and ice run from midnight to noon on 2 January across large parts of England and Wales, including London, the West Midlands and many Welsh counties.
- Additional alerts cover Northern Ireland from midnight to 10am on 2 January, with separate snow and ice warnings in northern Scotland from 1–2 January and again 3–4 January amid strong northerly winds.
- Forecasters expect 1–5 cm of snow in places, 10–20 cm on higher ground and 30 cm or more on the highest routes, with icy patches forming quickly as sleet and snow clear.
- The UK Health Security Agency has issued amber and yellow cold-health alerts across England through early January, warning of increased risks for vulnerable people and pressure on health and social care.
- Travel disruption is likely on roads and rail, officials urge extra journey time and operator checks, and forecasters say further weather warnings are likely as the cold spell develops.