‘Blizzard conditions’ likely in north-east England with amber warning in force | UK weather

The Met Office said blizzard conditions were possible in parts of north-east England, where a yellow snow warning was in force.

Sleet and snow showers will continue to hit UK coastlines overnight into Thursday, with the worst-hit areas facing travel disruptions and potential power outages, the forecaster said.

Up to 25cm of snow could accumulate on the North York Moors and surrounding highlands, where the amber warning will remain in force until 9pm.

Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: “Thursday will be a sunny day for most, but there will be sleet and snow showers along the coast which will filter inland. It will be particularly heavy in north-east England.

“The heaviest snowfall from Wednesday night into Thursday is likely to be seen in the Sperrins, North Yorkshire Moors, Northwest Highlands, Grampians and the higher elevations of Pembrokeshire.”

The national weather service said communications could be lost to rural communities in the amber warning area due to high winds, creating “occasional blizzard conditions” and the possibility of lightning could pose further danger.

As motorists faced challenging conditions in the north-east on Wednesday night, North Yorkshire police warned motorists to stay away from the A171 near Whitby, where many vehicles were stranded due to snow.

Officers also closed the A169 between Whitby and Pickering due to heavy snowfall.

AA specialist patrolman Shaun Jones said: “Roads can quickly become dangerous when snow and ice hit. Stopping distances can increase tenfold on icy surfaces, so it’s absolutely vital to slow down and leave plenty of room.

“Motorists should plan ahead, stick to main routes and allow extra time for their journeys.”

Winter showers will hit East Anglia, West Wales and Cornwall overnight, but continued snow in the north-east could cause “significant disruption”, the Met Office said.

Five yellow snow and ice warnings are in place across the country on Thursday, with warnings also in effect for the north-east England coast, Cornwall, Devon and West Wales until 11.59pm.

National Rail has urged rail passengers to check their journeys before traveling in snowy and icy weather.

He said speed restrictions may be imposed to ensure the safe operation of trains, which may lead to cancellation, change and delay of services.

The cold Arctic weather continues across the country as the mercury dropped to -6C overnight at Spadeadam in Cumbria.

The Met Office has warned that lowest temperatures could still persist in snow-covered areas in Scotland on Friday, with the potential for temperatures to drop as low as -12C.

Temperatures will start to approach averages for this time of year over the weekend when wet and windy weather arrives, but the weather won’t be as “extraordinarily mild” as it was in early November, the forecaster said.