UK weather: Met Office issues amber weather warning for ‘heavy snow causing disruption’

The Met Office has issued a fresh amber weather warning saying heavy snow will cause “serious disruption” - with the icy weather set to stay.

The alert warns that 5cm-10cm of snow could accumulate in some places in two to three hours in central Scotland, including Glasgow, and said travel delays and power cuts are likely in some areas. Yellow weather warnings are in place across the rest of the UK up until Sunday.

People on the Scottish island of Shetland could be without power until the weekend, as engineers work to reconnect thousands entering their fourth day without power. The Met Office said the cold snap is set to continue until at least the end of the week, before milder and wetter weather moves in.

The meteorologists issued a new amber weather warning for heavy snow for central Scotland. They said travel delays and power cuts are likely, while there is a “good chance” rural communities become cut off. The wintry weather has led to school closures, with all schools in Shetland shut on Thursday and more than 60 closed in Aberdeenshire.

Another yellow weather warning for snow and ice covering Shetland and Orkney kicks in at 12am on Friday and will be in place until 10am. A separate yellow warning of snow and ice has been issued for central and southern Scotland and parts of the Highlands and Aberdeenshire from 6am until 11.59pm on Friday.

While on Sunday a yellow warning will cover the majority of Scotland, Wales and England down to the Midlands from 3am until 9pm. Another warning for snow and ice will also cover most of the south of England from 3am until 11am on Sunday.

Why is it so cold in the UK?

Temperatures have dropped drastically across the UK this week and this cold weather has come from Scandinavian based countries such as Norway in a weather phenomenon known as ‘Troll of Trondheim’. A combination of high pressure over Greenland and an area of low pressure over Scandinavia has resulted in the cold Arctic air spreading southwards and hitting areas across the UK.

While the Met Office claims the temperatures are not exceptional for winter in the UK, it has been described as “the most significant and widespread spell of cold conditions since February 2021.”

When will the cold snap end?

The Met Office are predicting that most parts of the UK will see slightly milder weather by the end of the weekend. However, this spell of slightly warmer weather is expected to be short-lived and the weather is expected to plummet once more in the weeks building up to Christmas.