Severe Winter Weather Causes Chaos Across the UK
Arctic weather conditions have caused widespread disruption across the UK, with flight cancellations, rail delays and hundreds of school closures reported as snow and ice continue to affect large parts of the country.
According to the Met Office, yellow warnings for snow and ice remain in place across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England. Overnight temperatures dropped to -10.9°C in Shap, Cumbria, while 52cm of snow was recorded in Banffshire, Scotland.
Additional weather warnings have been issued for eastern England, western Wales, and parts of the south west including Devon and Cornwall. Amber cold weather health alerts are in force across all regions of England until Friday, with forecasters warning that areas with lying snow could see temperatures fall as low as -12°C overnight.
Travel has been significantly affected by the severe conditions. National Rail warned of ongoing disruption to train services in northern Scotland until at least Tuesday. Eurostar advised passengers travelling between London and the Netherlands to delay their journeys, as services are unable to operate beyond Brussels due to severe weather in the Netherlands. Loganair cancelled several flights from Aberdeen and Inverness airports because of heavy snowfall. Liverpool John Lennon Airport was temporarily closed on Monday morning but later reopened.
Matthew Lehnert said the UK is likely to experience a range of winter hazards throughout the week, including snow showers, freezing temperatures and an increased risk of ice. He added that weather warnings may be updated frequently as conditions evolve.
Looking ahead, forecasters have also warned of further hazards later in the week. Strong winds and heavy rain are expected as an area of low pressure moves in from the west on Thursday and Friday. Meteorologists say the exact track of the system will determine which regions face the most severe impacts and have urged the public to stay informed by checking the latest forecasts regularly.
