Ice Warning Hits Southern England and South Wales
January 8, 2024, London – Brace yourselves, the Met Office has slapped a yellow ice warning across southern England and South Wales. Expect freezing temps and snow flurries from 3pm today until 3am Tuesday. The cold snap is set to bite hard as icy patches form on already wet ground.
Snow Dusting, But Watch Out for Ice
London, Kent, and surrounding areas saw some snow this morning, but it was mostly a light dusting – just one or two centimetres, says Met meteorologist Tom Morgan. Tuesday promises drier skies and fewer snow showers, except for Cornwall, which may still see some wintry blasts.
Still, it won’t feel any warmer. Bitter wind chills will plunge temps to a bone-chilling -3°C across the South West.
“We’re not expecting much in the way of further snowfall on Tuesday. It will be much sunnier than today, particularly in the south compared to Monday,” said Tom Morgan.
Risk of Ice and More Cold Air On the Way
With wet ground primed for freezing, icy spots are expected, especially in South Wales and southern England. Meanwhile, a blast of Arctic air will surge down over Scotland this weekend, bringing more snow showers and deepening the freeze.
Flood Aftermath and Health Alerts
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently visited flood-hit Oxford, where the Environment Agency is still battling the aftermath of Storm Henk’s heavy rain and gale-force winds. Significant flooding continues along the lower River Trent, with minor impacts in Thames and Severn areas.
Expect minor groundwater flooding too in Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, parts of Yorkshire, and other southern spots.
Health warnings are flying thick and fast: an amber cold alert covers the North West, Midlands, South West, and South East until Friday noon. A yellow alert stretches across the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, East of England, and London.
Cold weather ups the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and chest infections, hitting the elderly and vulnerable hardest. Dr Agostinho Sousa from UKHSA warned,
“With the Met Office forecasting drops in temperature across the United Kingdom into next week, it is important to check in on the well-being of those most vulnerable to the cold.
