“UK Faces Chilling Conditions: Ice Warnings and Travel Disruptions as Temperatures Plummet to -16C”

The Met Office has issued yellow weather alerts for snow and ice starting this afternoon affecting large areas of the UK.

On Thursday, several yellow warnings were active across the nation, but many were initially expected to lapse by 11am, leaving only a snow and ice warning in Scotland valid until midnight.

However, it has since revised its map to indicate yellow ice warnings for significant portions of the Midlands, North West England, Eastern England, Wales, and Northern Ireland from 4pm on Thursday till 10am on Friday, while the snow and ice alert for Scotland has been prolonged to 10am on Friday.

A distinct yellow alert for ice is active from 3am on Friday through 11am, impacting South West England and segments of South Wales.

This follows significant disruption across the country due to frigid weather, with temperatures predicted to drop as low as -16C on Thursday night in both the northeast of England and Scotland, as per the Met Office’s report.

Manchester Airport has forewarned travelers of delays after momentarily suspending runway operations due to “substantial amounts of snow”.

In a statement issued Thursday morning, the airport declared: “Our runways are momentarily closed due to substantial amounts of snow, as our teams strive diligently to clear them as fast as possible.”

The airport reported its runways had reopened by 10am, but cautioned that “due to the previous closure, some departures and arrivals may still face delays”.

“The safety of our travelers remains our highest priority. Thank you for your patience and understanding,” they added.

The A30 in Cornwall was shut in the westbound direction between the A3047 junctions Avers and Tolvaddon on Thursday morning after a multi-vehicle crash, as reported by National Highways, following an amber alert for snow and ice that was active previously.

At 8:45 am, it was stated that emergency services were present at the scene while traffic congestion developed on the roads.

Devon and Cornwall Police along with Devon County Council Highways had earlier cautioned of road closures and motorists remaining stationary for “extended periods of time” in a collective statement.

Snow ploughs got stuck in queues stemming from “minor incidents”, the statement remarked.

All warnings issued across the nation are yellow, indicating a risk of injury due to slips and falls with some anticipated disruptions to travel.

A yellow alert for snow and ice is active for the subsequent areas from 4pm on Thursday until 10am on Friday:

• East Midlands
• North West England
• Northern Ireland
• Wales
• West Midlands

Obtain the forecast for your locality

Other yellow alerts that were in effect over a large part of the country on Thursday morning have now lapsed.

These included a warning for snow and ice impacting Cornwall, a significant portion of Wales, and sections of northwestern England until 11am, an alert for ice covering southern England and southeast Wales until 10.30am, and a fog advisory for Northern Ireland until 9am.

Disruptions to both road and rail operations are anticipated on Thursday in the warning zones, along with the possibility of incidents in icy locations, according to meteorologists.

As frozen conditions endure, drivers are advised to utilize the main roads that are most likely to have been treated.

The vehicle insurance provider RAC reported experiencing the highest demand for rescues within a three-day span since December 2022.