Snow has started falling on Britain in the country’s first major taste of winter this year – with drivers getting stuck, trains cancelled and warnings of more icy weather ahead.
Traffic problems have been reported around major cities including Leeds as the Met Office issued a severe weather warning of snow and ice.
Yet while northern parts of the country are tipped to be among those worst hit by the wintry conditions, some revellers have already been seen enjoying the outlook – with revellers pictured playing out in Sheffield.
The Met Office put in place yellow ‘be aware’ warnings across parts of Britain from 4pm yesterday and due to last until 10am today.
And this morning there were three yellow warnings extended until 11am, covering Northern Ireland, Scotland and from northern English cities such as Manchester and York down to the Midlands including Stoke, Leicester and Birmingham.
Britons are being told to expect icy patches on the roads and, as the cold flurries continue, a risk of power cuts and disruption to bus and train services.
Up to 10cm of snow was expected overnight tonight in areas over 300m above sea level – which could double today while also amassing at lower levels, spelling potential trouble for commuters.
In addition, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a Cold Health Alert for large swathes of England running from now until Thursday – putting NHS services on notice to expect greater demand.
Motorists in England’s north have been put on notice and train services were cancelled, as National Rail warned the cold climate would impact various routes on the Northern Rail until at least 2pm today.
Impacted areas included the Bradford Interchange and Huddersfield, and also between Halifax and Hebden Bridge and Hull.
Mersey Rail issued an alert warning passengers that due to the potential of snow and ice covering tracks, the first service on each line in north west England would run without customers to ensure conditions could be checked.
Travellers were advised to check their local rail app or social media and plan their journeys ahead.
Dan Suri, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said an ‘area of low pressure’ bringing ‘heavy snow’ would ‘coincide with rush hour, leading to disruption to some transport routes across a central swathe of the UK on Tuesday morning’, adding: ‘It will also be windy in the far south.’
Motorists were also put on high alert, with the National Highways issuing an amber severe snow alert for roads across the North East and North West of the country. Road users were advised to take extra care and avoid the area if possible.
Affected roads included the M26 between junctions 21 and 23, the M1 at Leeds and Sheffield and the M56 at Manchester.
It comes as the UK Health Security Agency issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season this week.
The amber warning covers the east and north of England, Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber, with yellow alerts coming into place for the South East, South West and London at 8am on Tuesday, lasting until 6pm on Saturday.
Within affected areas, there is a chance of power cuts, disruption to road and public transport and the risk of injury from slipping on ice.
And Charity Age UK warned that the conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including the elderly.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, from the UKHSA, said: ‘This is the first amber Cold Weather Health Alert of the season, but we can expect more as we approach winter.
‘It is vital to check in on vulnerable friends, family and neighbours to ensure they are well prepared for the onset of cold weather – particularly if they are elderly or otherwise at increased risk.’
Age UK director Caroline Abrahams said the charity was worried that the loss of the Winter Fuel Payment has caused many older people to be ‘extra fearful’ about turning on their heating this winter.
She said: ‘With high energy bills and food prices it is understandable that some may think they have to cut back on food and turn their heating off, but prolonged exposure to cold temperatures can have a serious impact on an older person’s health, especially if they are already trying to manage existing illnesses.’
Ms Abrahams said it was ‘vital’ that older people stay ‘fit, warm and well if they can’ by having hot food and drinks throughout the day, wrapping up warm and sleeping with the windows closed.
Forecasters have warned Brits to check the forecast where they are before they travel, while experts are appealing to people to check in on vulnerable family and neighbours as the temperature dips to just above zero.
In some areas, the temperature at midday today will be just 1C – dipping into the negative at night.
Flood alerts have also been put in place along the coast at Roker in Sunderland, Hornsea and Bawdsey Quay near Felixstowe.
Chief Meteorologist Andy Page said earlier: ‘We have issued yellow warnings for snow and ice as cold weather moves in from the north.
‘This brings snow showers and some ice to parts of Scotland on Sunday night, and then the potential for a spell of snow to lead to disruption to some transport routes across a central swathe of the UK on Tuesday morning.
‘Gusty winds in the east also remain a potential hazard. Updates to the warnings for wintry hazards are likely so it is important to stay up to date with the latest forecast.’
Katherine Crawford, CEO of Age Scotland, said pre-existing medical conditions can be exacerbated by the cold snap and that the elderly are particularly vulnerable to transport disruption.
She added: ‘Bad weather may make it difficult for people to get out for essential shopping or medical appointments, so we’d urge everyone to check in on older family, friends and neighbours during this period to find out if they need any extra support.
‘A friendly phone call or an offer to help with shopping, collecting prescriptions or de-icing paths could be a lifeline for someone who feels isolated at home during this cold spell.’
The extended warning comes amid fears gas and energy prices will remain high due to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and other international factors.
Europe’s gas market rose by as much as five per cent on Thursday to its highest price in a year amid fears of a halt in supplies from Russia and an increase in demand from Asia following recent summer heatwaves.
Austrian firm OMV warned of a ‘potential halt of gas supply’ from Russia after it was awarded €230m (£192m) from a ruling against Russian giant Gazprom, the Financial Times reported.