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Two amber weather warnings remain in place as the country grapples with travel disruption and power cuts after days of harsh winter weather.
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An amber warning for snow and rare freezing rain covering most of Wales and much of England – including the Midlands, Liverpool and Manchester – came into effect at 6pm on Saturday and lasts until midday on Sunday, the Met Office said.
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The second amber warning for snow, covering most of northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District, started at 9pm on Saturday and will remain in place until midnight on Sunday.
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Both of the warning areas can expect to see 3cm to 7cm of snowfall widely, while snow may mix with rain at times in lower-lying areas, the Met Office said.
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A number of collisions were meanwhile reported on the country’s roads, with drivers in some areas advised to take particular care.
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The National Grid said on Saturday night that power was cut to properties across the Midlands, south-west England and South Wales, including Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff, and that work was under way to get services restored.
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Here’s what else you need to know:
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A yellow warning for snow and ice until midnight on Sunday has been issued for much of England and Wales not covered by the amber warnings and there was a yellow warning for snow and ice covering much of Northern Ireland until 6pm on Sunday and a warning for ice in the north of Scotland until 10am on Sunday. A yellow warning was also in place for rain covering much of Wales and the West Midlands on Sunday from 6am until 9pm.
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A cold weather health alert has been issued for all regions in England with large parts of the UK set to be hit by snow and freezing rain. The cold weather health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), lasts until midday on Wednesday. It means it is expected temperatures inside places such as hospitals, care homes and clinics could drop below the recommended levels.
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The Met Office has warned that the freezing weather could cause delays to rail and air travel, power cuts and the cutting off of rural communities, with up to 30cm of snow forecast in some areas.
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Manchester and Liverpool John Lennon Airport both closed their runways on Sunday morning due to heavy snow. Manchester said its teams are working to clear them “as quickly as possible” but had been hampered by “heavy snow” around 7am.
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The National Grid said there were a number of power cuts and it was working to restore power across the Midlands, south-west England and South Wales on Saturday evening, including in Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff.
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The Irish government’s emergency planning team is holding a meeting as Ireland braces for a “multi-hazard weather event”, which is due to hit the country later on Saturday. Snow, ice, heavy rain and sleet are to sweep over Ireland as a series of orange and yellow weather warnings come into effect. Met Éireann has warned that the cold snap will create difficult travelling conditions and poor visibility. Forecasters have said that depending on snow accumulations on Monday, schools could remain closed as the sub-zero temperatures stretch into next week. They have warned that it will probably lead to disruption to public transport, air, rail and bus services, difficult conditions underfoot and animal welfare issues. Taoiseach Simon Harris has urged the public to “proceed with caution” as the country faces severe weather challenges.
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A yellow warning for ice is in place for the north of Scotland from 4pm on Saturday to 10am on Sunday while a yellow warning for snow in the Shetland Islands has been issued for Saturday from 10am to 6pm.
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There is also a yellow warning for rain covering much of Wales and the West Midlands on Sunday from 6am to 9pm.
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An amber weather warning for snow has been put in place for the Isle of Man from 11pm on Saturday until 3am on Monday. The Ronaldsway Met Office warns that rain, sleet and snow will arrive on Saturday night and overnight into Sunday. Overhead power line icing may be an additional hazard, it warns.
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National Highways warned a “spell of disruptive snow” would spread across southern and central parts of the road network on Saturday night. Drivers in high-altitude areas, especially the Cotswolds and Peak District, were warned to take particular care. Gwent police issued a warning for black ice on Friday.
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Road users in northern England’s were warned up to 25cm of snow could hit parts of the network including the A66 Old Spittal, A628 Woodhead Pass and M62 at Windy Hill.
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Some football games have already been called off this weekend. They include Cheltenham’s clash with League Two leaders Walsall and Halifax’s National League home game against Fylde. It remains to be seen if Manchester United and Liverpool’s clash in the English Premier League, one of the most watched sporting events in the world, will be cancelled on Sunday.
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Horse racing at Sandown Park in Surrey was abandoned on Saturday, with the racecourse saying the weather meant there “would not be sufficient time for the ground to become raceable”.
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main events
Photo of heavy snow from the Pennines
Heavy snow threatens to postpone Manchester United's Premier League match against Liverpool on Sunday.
Liverpool City Council's Safety Advisory Group is expected to convene a meeting early this morning to discuss the next steps for the match, which is scheduled to kick off at Anfield at 4.30pm.
Chesterfield's match against Gillingham has been called off.
More to come…
Manchester Airport closed due to heavy snowfall liverpool airport The airline announced on social media this morning that it would be closing the runway.
Information for customers planning to travel from ℹ️ @manairport pic.twitter.com/ybcIygeJtW
— Manchester Airport (@manairport) January 5, 2025
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Due to snowfall, the runway will be temporarily closed, but the airport will be open. Please contact your airline for flight information. We are working hard to clear the runway and will provide an update at 08:45. pic.twitter.com/QxiFw9bqsE
— Liverpool John Lennon Airport (@LPL_Airport) January 5, 2025
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Due to snowfall, the runway will be temporarily closed, but the airport will be open. Please contact your airline for flight information. We are working hard to clear the runway and will provide an update at 08:45. pic.twitter.com/QxiFw9bqsE
— Liverpool John Lennon Airport (@LPL_Airport) January 5, 2025
The Met Office has issued a weather warning for the entire island of Ireland as the cold wave continues.
A yellow ice warning is in place for Northern Ireland until 6pm on Sunday.
The Met Office said 5 to 10 centimeters of snow could fall in the Mournes, Sperrins and Antrim Hills.
The forecaster said transport disruption was likely and roads would be dangerous.
The forecaster added: “Rain, sleet and snow will begin to fall from the south late Saturday, clearing into Sunday.”
“Coastal areas may see some rain, but inland and higher elevations are more likely to see sleet and snow.”
Opening overview
Hello. Welcome to the Guardian's live coverage of Britain's frigid weather.
Two Amber Weather Warnings remain in place as we deal with travel disruptions and power outages after a period of severe winter weather.
The Met Office said an amber warning for snow and rare freezing rain covering much of Wales and much of England, including the Midlands, Liverpool and Manchester, was issued at 6pm on Saturday and will last until midday on Sunday. .
A second Amber warning for snow will cover much of the north of England, including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District, starting at 9pm on Saturday and lasting until midnight on Sunday.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, 3 to 7 centimeters of snow is expected to accumulate over wide areas in both warning areas, and rain may mix with the snow in low-lying areas.
Meanwhile, a large number of collisions have been reported on roads across the country, and drivers in some areas are being urged to be especially careful.
National Grid said on Saturday night that power was out in areas across the Midlands, south-west England and south Wales, including Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff, and work was underway to restore services.
Here's what else you need to know:
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A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place until midnight on Sunday for many areas of England and Wales that are outside of the yellow warning, and a yellow warning for snow and ice is in place until 6pm on Sunday for most areas of Northern Ireland. A yellow warning is in place for northern Scotland, with an ice warning in place until 10am on Sunday.. A yellow warning for rain has also been issued for large parts of Wales and the West Midlands from 6am to 9pm on Sunday.
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A cold health alert has been issued across England. Much of the UK is expected to be hit by snow and freezing rain. A cold weather warning issued by the UK Health and Safety Agency (UKHSA) will remain in place until midday on Wednesday. This means it is expected that temperatures within locations such as hospitals, care homes and clinics may fall below recommended levels.
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The Bureau of Meteorology warned that the frigid weather could cause delays to rail and air services, power outages and cut-offs to rural communities.up to 30 centimeters of snow is expected to fall in some areas.
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Both Manchester Airport and Liverpool's John Lennon Airport closed their runways on Sunday morning due to heavy snowfall. Manchester said teams were working to clear the snow “as quickly as possible” but were hampered by “heavy snowfall” around 7 a.m.
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National Grid announced there were numerous power outages. By Saturday evening, power was being restored across the Midlands, south-west England and south Wales, including Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff.
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The Irish Government's emergency planning team is holding meetings as Ireland prepares for a 'multi-hazard weather event'.is scheduled to be released nationwide later Saturday. A series of orange and yellow weather warnings are in place, with snow, ice, heavy rain and sleet expected to hit the whole of Ireland. Alien Doctors warned that the cold snap could make travel difficult and reduce visibility. Forecasters said depending on Monday's snowfall, schools could remain closed as subzero temperatures persist into next week. They warn that this could likely lead to disruption of public transport, air, train and bus services, difficult footing conditions and animal welfare issues. Australia's Simon Harris has called on people to “act with caution” as the country faces severe weather challenges.
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A yellow ice warning is in place for the north of Scotland from 4pm on Saturday to 10am on Sunday. Meanwhile, a yellow warning for snow is in place for the Shetland Islands from 10am to 6pm on Saturday.
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There is also a yellow warning for rain for large parts of Wales and the West Midlands. Sundays from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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An Amber Weather Warning for snow has been issued for the Isle of Man from 11pm on Saturday until 3am on Monday. Met Office Ronaldsway is warning of rain, sleet and snow from Saturday night into Sunday. It warns that ice on overhead power lines could pose further risks.
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National Highways warned on Saturday night that a “curse of heavy snow” would spread across the southern and central parts of the road network. Drivers in highland areas, particularly the Cotswolds and Peak District, have been warned to be especially careful. Gwent Police issued a black ice warning on Friday.
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Road users in northern England have been warned that up to 25cm of snow could hit parts of the network. Includes the A66 Old Spital, the A628 Woodhead Pass and the M62 at Windy Hill.
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Some soccer matches have already been canceled this weekend. That includes Cheltenham's clash with League Two leaders Walsall, and Halifax's National League home game at Fylde. It remains to be seen whether the match between Manchester United and Liverpool in the English Premier League, one of the world's most watched sporting events, will be called off on Sunday.
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Horse racing at Sandown Park, Surrey, was canceled on Saturday.The racecourse said that due to the weather, “there is not enough time for the track to be open for horse racing.”
