Ireland weather: New snow and ice warning for four counties as UK braces for -16 temperatures
A new warning has been issued for four northern counties ahead of another Status Orange warning coming into effect on Wednesday evening
A new status yellow snow and ice warning has been issued for four counties in Northern Ireland as the Arctic blast gripping Ireland and the UK is set to continue in the coming days.
The warning was issued by the UK Met Office for Antrim, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry on Wednesday morning and will come into effect at 4pm on Wednesday afternoon, remaining in place until 11am on Thursday morning. People in affected areas have been warned to beware of snow and icy patches and disruption to travel as a result.
A separate Status Orange low temperature warning issued by Met Éireann comes into effect for all counties in the Republic of Ireland apart from Donegal at 6pm on Wednesday and will remain in effect until 11am on Thursday morning. A Status Yellow low temperature warning for the entire country, meanwhile, in effect since 5pm on Sunday, will remain in place until midday on Friday.
READ MORE: Ireland weather LIVE updates as Met Eireann warnings change under worsening deep freeze
The warnings come as temperatures are set to plummet to as low as -16C in the UK, the coldest of the winter so far. Parts of England were still subject to ice and snow warnings on Wednesday morning, and the Met Office said further alerts are likely to be issued as the week goes on.
Temperatures are set to drop sharply, with lows of -16C possible in Scotland and northern England overnight on Thursday and sub-zero temperatures expected across the country.
Oli Claydon, spokesman for the Met Office, told the PA news agency it will be “bitterly cold” on Thursday night. He said the lowest temperatures will be recorded in rural Scotland and rural northern England where there is lying snow, cloudless skies and very cold airflow.
A temperature of -14C would equal the lowest seen in this month last year, recorded in Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands on January 17 2024. But a temperature of -16C would be the lowest recorded in January in the UK for 15 years, since -22.3C was logged in Altnaharra in the Highlands on January 8 2010, according to Met Office data. Lows of -20C have not been reached since -23C was recorded at Braemar, Aberdeenshire, in February 2021.
People in Yorkshire woke to wintry scenes on Wednesday after snow hit overnight, while sleet and snow are forecast for southern England in the afternoon. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended its cold weather health alert for all of England until Sunday. Amber alerts issued on Thursday have been extended and will now run until January 12, meaning a rise in deaths is likely, the agency said.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at the UKHSA, said: “We are extending the duration of our Cold-Health Alert, since the Met Office are forecasting that the low temperatures we are seeing will continue further into this week, with snow and icy conditions likely to persist.
“This weather can have a serious impact on the health of some people, including those aged 65 and over and those with pre-existing health conditions, and it is therefore vital that we continue to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable. These people could be more at risk of heart attacks, stroke and chest infections as a result of cold temperatures.”
The UK Met Office yellow weather warning for snow covering southern counties of England remains in place until midnight on Wednesday. Fresh flurries of snow could hit this area on Wednesday afternoon, with the possibility of up to 4in (10cm) over higher ground.
Meanwhile, weather warnings issued on Tuesday for snow and ice covering the Midlands, parts of North Wales, the north west of England, west and northern parts of Scotland as well as Northern Ireland remain in place until midday on Wednesday. The country has been hit by widespread flooding in recent days and a danger to life flood warning was issued for Barrow upon Soar in Leicestershire as firefighters had to rescue dozens of people stranded in rising water.
Scores of flood warnings and alerts remain in place for England but more than 200 have been removed in the last 24 hours and the weather is set to be drier over the next few days.
“Much of the UK is seeing a much drier day and some bright conditions away from coasts,” Mr Claydon said on Wednesday. In those flood-affected areas it is a much better, drier picture.”
One flood warning is in place for the River Wye at Monmouth and four flood alerts are in place for the rest of Wales on Wednesday, Natural Resources Wales said. Mr Claydon said the weather will get gradually milder over the next few days.
“Certainly by the end of the weekend we’re moving to a milder air mass and it’ll slowly get introduced across the UK through Sunday,” he said.
“By Monday, the UK will broadly be in a milder air mass and we’ll see some rain moving in from the north west into parts of western Scotland and potentially Northern Ireland as well.”
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