Overview
- The Met Office issued yellow ice warnings covering most of the UK for Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, bringing the start time forward in places as conditions worsened.
- Temperatures have plunged to as low as −12.5C, with forecasters flagging a sharp frost and widespread icy patches on untreated surfaces that could cause injuries and travel delays.
- UKHSA’s amber cold‑health alert remains in force through the weekend, and government cold weather payments have been triggered across hundreds of postcode areas after several sub‑zero days.
- Travel and services have been disrupted with hundreds of school closures, rail cancellations and breakdown surges, as some councils declare incidents and gritting teams work extended shifts to keep priority routes open.
- Forecasters expect Storm Goretti to bring heavy snow and strong winds from Thursday, with warnings for England and Wales and the southwest coast, and some outlets highlight a potential freezing‑rain risk into the weekend.