UK households urged to stock up on torches and batteries before Friday | UK | News

In the UK, households in some parts of the country were urged to stock up on essentials such as torches and batteries before noon on Friday. Britain is bracing for heavy snowfall and bitterly cold weather in the coming days, with many major cities predicted to be affected.

However, the Met Office has issued rare Amber weather warnings for snowfall for 24 hours from 12pm tomorrow (January 2) until 12am Saturday. These weather warnings affect Central, Tayside & Fife (Angus, Perth and Kinross), Grampian (Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray) and Highlands & Eilean Siar (Highland). Travel delays are likely on the roads, with the possibility of vehicles and passengers being stranded, and rail and air transport are likely to be affected by some delays and cancellations. Power outages are possible, and there is a “good chance” some rural communities will lose power.

Met Office Amber alerts state: “Snowy and cold weather can cause delays and make driving conditions hazardous, so to keep yourself and others safe: plan your route, check for delays and road closures, change travel plans if necessary.

“If you are driving, take more time to prepare and check your car before you leave; make sure you have the essentials in your car in case of any delays (warm clothing, food, water, blanket, flashlight, ice scraper/defroster, warning triangle, high-vis vest and in-car phone charger).

“People cope better when they prepare in advance for the risk of losing services and amenities due to power outages or snow.

“This is easy to do; consider gathering flashlights, batteries, cell phone power supply and other essential items.”

Amber weather alerts state that heavy snowfalls “will become more frequent and may sometimes combine to create longer snowfalls.”

“Further accumulations of 10-20 cm are possible at low levels and 30-40 cm at high ground.”

Windy conditions will also cause some snow drift and temporary blizzard conditions.