Snow and ice warning in place with temperatures set to plummet mid-week

Weather warnings for snow and ice remain in place with temperatures set to plummet by the middle of the week.

The yellow Met Office alert is in place across Wrexham and North Wales between midnight and midday on Wednesday 17 January.

A warning is also in place between midnight and 11:59pm on Thursday 18.

Locally temperatures will struggle get above four degrees in the day and could drop to as low as minus four degrees overnight.

According to the Met Office “a band of snow showers will start the day running across parts of west Wales, however as the wind changes to a more northwesterly direction these will increasingly affect parts of, north Wales, northwest England, and perhaps reaching parts of the northwest Midlands later in the day.”

It is currently forecast that smome places in this area will only see 1-2 cm or so of snow, with any quickly melting on the immediate coastlines.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Chris Bulmer: “There are a couple of weather systems for Tuesday and Wednesday which we are keeping an eye on that bring the potential for disruptive snow for some regions.

“With cold air firmly in place, any weather systems that move across the country next week will bringing mainly snowfall inland.

“Models are currently showing us a variety of options for both systems and we’ll be able to add more details to in the coming days.”

Ahead of the weekend, largely rather cold and dry conditions are in place for much of the UK, with sub-zero temperatures overnight for many.

The UK Health Security Agency has a Cold-Health Alert in force, which highlights that possibility of significant impacts for the health and social care sector.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: “The temperatures we will see leading into the weekend can rapidly have a serious impact on the health of those over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions as it increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections.

“It is therefore vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours to ensure they are well prepared for the cold weather next week.”

The following advice has also been issued by the Met Office to help stay safe in wintery conditions:-

• Snowy, wintry weather can cause delays and make driving conditions dangerous, so to keep yourself and others safe: plan your route, checking for delays and road closures, amending your travel plans if necessary; if driving, leave more time to prepare and check your car before setting off; make sure you have essentials packed in your car in the event of any delays (warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch, ice scraper/de-icer, a warning triangle, high visibility vest and an in-car phone charger).
• People cope better when they have prepared in advance for the risk of power cuts or being cut off from services and amenities due to the snow. onsider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items.
• Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area.