UK braces for snow and ice as travel disruptions loom

As snow began falling in some regions, widespread yellow warnings remain in place for Wednesday, News.Az reports, citing BBC. Higher ground in Wales, northern England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland is expected to see the heaviest snowfall. In addition, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow and amber cold-health alerts until Saturday, warning of “significant” impacts on the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions. An area of rain, sleet and snow moved across the UK overnight into Wednesday morning, leading to some icy patches and some areas waking up to a covering of snow. Some ferries have been cancelled in Scotland and in Wales and Derbyshire there is disruption on main roads. Meanwhile a more severe amber warning has been issued for Thursday for northern England. The Met Office said ice could create some particularly tricky travel conditions. Darren Clark, a severe weather resilience adviser for National Highways - which looks after England's major roads - has urged all drivers to check lights and tyres before setting off so not to be caught out. He added there are more than more than 500 gritters available to be called on when snow hits. Motorists are also advised to have food, clothing and a torch in their vehicles. Drivers travelling in both directions along the A628 Woodhead Pass between Hollingworth and Flouch in Derbyshire face delays from snow, National Highways has said. Meanwhile in Wales, the B4391 in Gwynedd between Rhyd y Sarn and Pen y Bryn has been closed in both directions, in the country's north-west. Traffic Scotland, which monitors the country's roads, has said that frequent snow showers may lead to disruption in areas with weather warnings, and has issued similar advice to people travelling by road. Gritters are patrolling roads to carry out extra treatment where needed in south-east and north-west Scotland, according to Bear Scotland, which maintains trunk roads. Calmac ferries in Scotland have warned some services have been cancelled, while others are liable to disruption or cancellation at short notice. Bus and train service delays and cancellations are also possible. Travellers are advised to plan their route, check for any delays, closures or cancellations, and give themselves ample time to prepare and travel. Hills of Wales, northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland are forecast to see around 2-5cm (0.8-2in) of accumulating snow, with more on higher ground. Through Wednesday, parts of south-west Wales and south-west England will continue to see wintry showers move through, with potential for some disruption due to settling snow over high ground. Met Office yellow warnings for the Midlands and southern Scotland were in place until 11:00 GMT, while snow and ice warnings in Northern Ireland, northern Scotland, south-west Wales, and other parts of England will remain into Thursday. The North York Moors and even parts of the Yorkshire Wolds will see a more severe Met Office amber warning come into force from 05:00 to 21:00 GMT on Thursday. By the end of Thursday, those hills above 100m elevation could accumulate as much as 15-25 cm. This is likely to cause substantial disruption with rural communities being cut off, vehicles becoming stranded and potential for power cuts. Gusty winds leading to blizzards and thunderstorms - thundersnow - may bring additional hazards.