major events
The Met Office said light air will cover some southern areas over the weekend, before a new northerly flow allows a return of cooler conditions across the UK next week.
Deputy Chief Forecaster, dan hollyIt said temperatures would remain below average and some areas would struggle to rise above freezing for several days. More weather warnings may be issued early next week.
national highway It has been warned that “disruptive snowfall” will spread across southern and central parts of the road network on Saturday night.
The PA news agency reports that drivers in high altitude areas, especially Cotswolds And peak DistrictWarning was given to take special precautions. gwent police issued a black ice warning on Friday.
Road users in northern England were warned that up to 25cm of snow could affect parts of the network A66 Old Spital, A628 Woodhead PassSand M62 at Windy Hill,
Temperatures fell to -8.6C overnight in Aberdeenshire
Met Office spokesperson confirmed The temperature dropped to a low of -8.6C In aboyne In aberdeenshire All night long.
Cold conditions are expected to continue for most of Saturday, with temperatures ranging between 2-5°C in most places today, with a high of 7°C in south-west England.
The coldest temperature recorded was -14C in Dalwhinney, Highlands, in January last year.
jessica murray
The health secretary, Wes Streeting, told the BBC that “this is definitely a weekend to turn on the heating” as he defended the government’s cuts to winter fuel payments, which he said were protected for “the poorest pensioners”.
“This is the weekend to prepare yourself and take sensible precautions about staying warm, going out and moving around,” he said.
Caroline Abrahams, director of Age UK, said the government’s decision to limit winter fuel allowances would bring “acute relief” from the cold and that older people had already contacted the charity, “concerned that this What to do when time is “arrived”.
“We urge older people to make every effort to stay warm, even if it means spending more than they can afford,” he said. “Energy companies are obliged to help if you are struggling and help may also be available from your local council.”
Councils have activated emergency measures, including extra accommodation, to help rough sleepers stay safe during the cold.
What is freezing rain?
Today, Britain is bracing for freezing rain – but what is it?
The Met Office described it as “a rare type of liquid precipitation which falls on a cold surface, and freezes almost immediately”.
It adds:
The conditions required for freezing rain are quite specific and we don’t see this phenomenon very often in the UK. This can produce stunning effects, as the raindrop spreads across the surface for a moment before freezing, covering the surface in a layer of clear ice.
However, it is not just these charming views that freezing rain can bring; The weight of the snow can sometimes be heavy enough to down trees and power lines, and the flaking of snow on the ground effectively turns roads and paths into ice rinks. Freezing rain can also prove to be extremely dangerous for planes.
Freezing rain is more common in other parts of the world, for example in the United States, where weather systems produce a lot of freezing rain. These are called blizzards, and if enough ice accumulates on trees or power lines, the weight of the snow can cause them to break and cause widespread disruption.
Some football games have been cancelled, including Cheltenham’s clash with League Two leaders Walsall, which was due to take place on Saturday.
Halifax’s National League home game against Fylde, scheduled for Saturday, has been cancelled.
The Scottish Championship game between Airdrie and leaders Falkirk did not take place on Friday night.
Meanwhile, Saturday’s race meeting in Newcastle has been canceled as the course is halted.
For those who need to drive today, the Press Association has advice on how to stay safe:
Do not drive if you feel unsafe
Of course, this isn’t an option if you really need to be somewhere, but if you’re unsure of your abilities or feel stressed by the prospect of driving in snowy weather, hanging up the keys and sitting there is always a good idea. It gets better. ,
Don’t be tempted to drive with the windscreen half-filled
This is extremely dangerous – you must wait until your windscreen has completely defrosted before departing. Make sure your side windows, rear screen and wing mirrors are also cleaned before you leave. Plus, if you don’t clean your windscreen properly you could be fined for dangerous driving – the most serious cases risk a fine of up to £2,500.
Don’t leave snow on the roof of your car while driving
If snow has fallen heavily in the area where you live, it is possible that a large portion of it may have accumulated on the roof of your car as well. Although you might think it will blow away as you drive away, sub-zero temperatures often cause snow to freeze on the roof of a car and freeze solid, posing a potential hazard. A large piece of frozen ice can easily break the windscreen of the car driving behind you.
Do not try to use the wipers to defrost your car windscreen
When you get into your car on a cold morning it might be a good idea to activate its windscreen wipers as a way to remove snow. However, during sub-zero temperatures, the wipers can quickly freeze solid, so leaving them on will burn out the motors and cause some expensive damage.
Instead, gently lift the wiper arms away from the screen to free them of ice, or spray a small amount of de-icer on them as a way to make sure they are frost-free.
Avoid using boiling water to remove ice from your screen
Pouring boiling water from a kettle onto your car’s cold windscreen might seem like a good idea. However, the reality is quite the opposite, as doing so can cause your screen to break as it changes from one extreme temperature to another. If there are pieces of stone on your windscreen, doing this may make them worse.
Here’s the Met Office forecast for Saturday morning:
A cold start began on Saturday with freezing fog and icy patches in parts of the north
Best sunshine in the north-east, with isolated rain in the north-west 🌦️
Dry but cloudy further south with rain and snow later in the far south-west ☔ pic.twitter.com/CYFRKG1KJR
– Met Office (@metoffice) 3 January 2025
Here are some pictures from across the UK on Friday:
Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said some “significant accumulations” of snow were possible in parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England, and the added factor of high winds could cause snow to drift.
he adds:
There is a threat of freezing rain in the Midlands and parts of northern England, especially Wales, increasing the risk of freezing and creating dangerous conditions in some places.
As soon as ultra-cold raindrops fall on the surface, they instantly freeze, covering everything in a layer of ice, making it extremely dangerous.
preliminary summary
Good morning and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of UK cold weather.
A cold weather health alert has been issued for all areas of England after temperatures dropped to -8C (17.6F) across the UK on Friday, with large parts of it hit by snow and freezing rain.
The Met Office has warned that the cold weather could cause delays to rail and air travel, power cuts and rural communities being cut off, with snowfall of up to 30cm forecast in some areas.
According to the Met Office, temperatures of -10C were forecast in parts of rural Scotland on Friday night.
The Met Office said an amber warning of snow and rare freezing rain is in place for much of Wales and central England, including the Midlands and the northwestern cities of Liverpool and Manchester, from 6pm Saturday until noon Sunday.
A second snowfall warning has been issued for much of northern England, including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District, from 9pm Saturday until midnight Sunday.
Three separate yellow weather warnings for snow and ice will be in place across most of the UK, covering different periods of time, until Monday afternoon.
Here’s what else you need to know:
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The cold weather health alert issued by the UK Health Protection Agency (UKHSA) will last until Wednesday afternoon. This means it is expected that temperatures inside places such as hospitals, care homes and clinics may fall below the recommended levels.
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A child died after a car crashed into a tree on the A1 near Grantham in Lincolnshire on Thursday night, and police are investigating whether the incident was linked to icy conditions on the carriageway.Lincolnshire Police said the seven-month-old baby was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead just after 5am.
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The lowest temperature ever recorded in the UK cold snap was in Benson, Oxfordshire, where it was -8.1C on Friday morning, while temperatures fell to -7.5C in Shap, Cumbria, and -6.7C at Bournemouth Airport.In Scotland, the lowest temperature of -6.4C was recorded in Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway.
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Some football games this weekend have already been canceledThey include Cheltenham’s clash with League Two leaders Walsall which was due to take place on Saturday, Halifax’s National League home game against Fylde which was also scheduled for Saturday, and Friday night’s Scottish Championship game between Airdrie and leaders Falkirk Is.