2 hours ago
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Travel disruption is expected on Friday with snow and ice forecast across the UK.
Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are already in place for parts of the UK, ahead of amber snow warnings for northern Scotland that begin at midday on Friday.
Travellers can expect disruption to their journeys as wintry weather moves south-eastwards over parts of England and Wales.
A yellow weather warning for snow and ice is in place throughout Friday morning for an area covering London, Greater Manchester and Cardiff, while a yellow warning for ice in the south-west of England was issued by the Met Office on Friday morning that runs until 10am.
About 2cm of snow could fall in some areas, with up to 5cm on higher ground.
Heavy snowfalls have already caused difficulties for motorists in the Highlands and north-east of Scotland on New Year’s Day, with warnings of blizzard-like conditions coming on Friday and into the weekend.
The amber weather warnings for snow are in place until noon on Saturday, covering areas within a wider yellow weather warning.
The Met Office says the amber areas in Scotland could lead to power cuts and vehicles becoming stranded.
On Friday, there could be snow accumulations of up to 20cm on low ground and up to 40cm on higher ground.
Those in the affected areas have been warned the wintry conditions are likely to continue into the weekend.
Describing the amber warning, the Met Office said: “Heavy snow showers will become more frequent and may merge to give longer spells of snow at times.
“The area and period covered by this warning are when the heaviest and most disruptive snow is thought most likely during the current cold spell, with existing yellow warnings covering a wider area and a longer period.”
The forecaster continued: “Windy conditions will also result in some drifting of snow and temporary blizzard conditions.”
On Friday, a yellow warning for snow and ice was issued across large parts of England and Wales between midnight and noon, including Chester and Greater Manchester down to London and Kent.
Separate yellow warnings are in place for Northern Ireland between midnight and 10am on Friday.
People have been urged to prepare for longer journey times by road, and on bus and train services. The AA estimated the number of car journeys is likely to reach 20.7m across the UK on 2 January after a quieter day on the roads on New Year’s Day when 18m trips were predicted.
A Met Office spokesperson said: “We expect this cold spell to persist into the weekend and on into next week, with further warnings possible as temperatures remain well below average and snow showers continue in places.”
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued warnings across England for the start of the year, which are in place until 10am on 6 January.
The UKHSA said it meant the weather was likely to cause significant impacts across health and social care services, including a “rise in deaths” among those with health conditions or aged 65 or over.
