Amber warning for snow as freezing cold snap continues

Winter weather will continue across the UK on Thursday as temperatures drop below zero overnight and snow and ice affect some areas.

The Met Office’s yellow warnings apply to Northern Ireland, coastal areas in northern and central Scotland and south-west Wales, and south-west, east and north-east England.

A more severe amber warning is in force for parts of the North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds, where up to 15-25cm (6-10in) of snow could fall on higher ground.

The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) also issued cold warnings for England until Saturday, saying there could be “significant” impacts on the elderly and people with existing health conditions.

Night temperatures dropped to -6.1C in Warcop, Cumbria, England, -5.8C in Sennybridge, Wales, -4.8C in Drumnadrochit, Scotland and -2.8C in Altnahinch Filters, Northern Ireland.

Areas where showers or rain and sleet leave the ground damp in anticipation of frost are at risk of creating an ice hazard on roads and sidewalks. Forecasters warn that buses and trains may be canceled or delayed.

But the conditions are not very similar This time last year it was snowy and icy Hundreds of schools closed and Nottingham saw 12cm of snow.

In recent years the Met Office has observed a decrease in the frequency, duration and intensity of cold weather, clearly linked to climate change. According to the latest information Status of the Climate Report, Outdoor, air and ground frosts have decreased by about a quarter since the 1980s.

Fields Snow was seen from London to Shetland on Wednesday.

Dozens of schools were closed in north-east Scotland and the Highlands and roads were closed, including the Woodhead Pass between Hollingworth and Flouch in Derbyshire and the B4391 between Rhyd y Sarn and Pen y Bryn in north-west Wales.

Yes yellow warnings For snow and ice on Thursday:

• Parts of Cornwall and Devon and Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Swansea by 23:59 GMT

• North East England, SW Scotland and Lothian Borders, Yorks and Humber by 23:59 GMT

• Central and northern Scotland until 21:00 GMT

• Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire by 11:00 GMT

• Northern Ireland until 12:00 GMT

Thursday’s yellow warning for North Yorkshire will be in effect from 03:00 to 21:00 GMT. Forecasters say snow is expected throughout the day, mostly on hills above 100 metres, and could cause “significant disruption”.

They say it is possible to see what is known as thundersnow in some areas, including the northern York Moors and the Highlands of Scotland.

This is a phenomenon that occurs during the winter months when thunderstorms form and cause heavy snowfall instead of rain.

Meanwhile, a snow warning in Wales has been linked to what forecasters are calling the “Pembrokeshire Dengler”. This is a series of showers that develop over the warmer waters of the Irish Sea and push southwards over the county of Pembrokeshire in south-west Wales.

Daytime temperatures will reach between 4C and 6C in most parts of England on Thursday.

Temperatures are expected to ease over the weekend and rise to average levels on Saturday.

In England, an amber cold warning has been issued by the UKHSA for the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber until 08:00 GMT on Saturday; all other regions were under less severe yellow alerts.

Warnings are mainly for health and social care services, warning of “significant” impacts to more vulnerable members of society.

Extra demands may be placed on services to cope with cold weather.