Overview
- Amber snow warnings cover parts of northern and eastern Scotland from noon Friday to noon Saturday, with forecasts of up to 40cm on higher ground and risks of power cuts, stranded vehicles and temporary blizzard conditions.
- Yellow warnings for snow and ice are in force across large areas including London, Greater Manchester and Cardiff through Friday morning, with separate alerts in Northern Ireland until 10am and an additional ice warning in the South West.
- Snow has already fallen in parts of London, with forecasters expecting around 1–2cm in places and up to 5cm on higher ground in parts of England and Wales, alongside widespread frost and hazardous ice.
- The Met Office reports Arctic air over most of the UK with daytime temperatures near or below 0C for some areas, and it says the cold spell is likely to persist into next week with further warnings possible.
- Authorities advise checking travel before setting out as delays and cancellations are likely across road, rail and air networks; Police Scotland urges only necessary journeys, the Met Office lists car essentials for drivers, and the AA forecasts 20.7 million trips today.