Full list of all UK schools closed today as UK braces for Storm Goretti
Hundreds of schools will remain closed as snow and ice continue to cause disruption across the country as Storm Goretti hits the UK.
The Met Office has issued a yellow ice warning for much of the UK, including Northern Ireland, for Wednesday morning due to an Arctic air mass causing showers across the country.
A yellow warning for snow and ice is in effect all day in northern Scotland on Wednesday and residents have been told to expect another 5 to 10cm of snow.
The Met Office said temperatures were expected to fall as low as minus 6C in rural parts of Scotland, and more broadly were expected to drop to just below freezing overnight.
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Travel has been affected all week, with some flights canceled and some train lines also affected. However, as large parts of the country were affected by ice, authorities asked pedestrians and drivers to be careful of slippery surfaces.
Forecaster Marco Petagna said: “With ice warnings, be aware of slippery surfaces and the potential for injury, so pay attention to footpaths.
“Ice areas may affect untreated roads; not all roads, pavements and cycle paths are treated, so be aware that away from major motorways there may be icy and slippery conditions for a period tomorrow morning.”
Aberdeenshire Council has declared a major incident due to ongoing heavy snowfall in the area. The local authority says some rural communities are likely to experience power outages and power outages may occur.
Separate yellow warnings for snow and ice cover much of the UK, including Northern Ireland, Wales, much of Scotland north of Glasgow, south-west England, north-west England, the Midlands, eastern England and the north-east of England extending to the Scottish Borders.
The Met Office said yellow alerts meant the weather could cause at least low-level impacts, including some disruption to travel.
The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) has extended its yellow cold health warnings for England, which will continue until Sunday, as an early warning that adverse temperatures could affect health and wellbeing.
UKHSA’s head of extreme events and health protection, Dr. Agostinho Sousa urged people earlier this week to check on vulnerable friends, family and neighbors. He warned: “Predicted temperatures could have a serious impact on some people’s health, leading to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and chest infections, particularly for those over 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions.”
Police Scotland stated that the impact of the snow will be felt in the north and north-east of Scotland in the next few days and urged people to follow travel advice.
Deputy Chief Constable Alan Waddell said: “Local resilience partnerships continue to meet to coordinate and respond to the disruption experienced by communities in the north and north-east of Scotland following heavy snowfall at the weekend.
“We are working closely with resilience partners in local authorities, other emergency services partners, transport partners, the NHS and health and social care partnerships and other local organizations to support communities affected by adverse weather and keep public services open where possible.
“Some services may be affected by adverse weather conditions and I would encourage members of the public to check on neighbors or relatives if they can do so safely.”
Ministers met with police, local authorities, utility companies and other agencies on Tuesday to discuss the response to severe weather.
Scottish justice secretary Angela Constance, who chaired the meeting, said “difficult conditions” were expected to continue this week and ministers would “continue to monitor the situation closely and engage with local partners in severely affected areas”.
John Swinney said on social media: “Please be aware of the yellow snow warning affecting much of the north of Scotland today and the yellow snow and ice warning across much of Scotland.
“I am very grateful to all public agencies and volunteers for the support. Please stay safe.”
The first minister has previously hailed the “truly extraordinary” efforts of farmers, volunteers and members of the public to help clear roads, dig up vehicles and keep people safe, saying it showed a “heartening” community spirit.
