Heavy overnight snowfall in Wales and northern England is causing significant travel disruptions as the new year begins. The Met Office has issued two amber weather warnings, predicting snowfall between 3cm and 7cm, along with potential freezing rain that could create hazardous conditions.
As of Sunday morning, Bingley in West Yorkshire recorded 12cm of snow, while Shap in Cumbria and Capel Curig in Conwy each experienced 10cm. An amber warning for snow and freezing rain remains in effect for much of Wales and the Midlands, extending to northern areas like Manchester, until midday on Sunday. In higher regions of Wales and the southern Pennines, snowfall could reach between 15cm and 30cm, though milder temperatures are expected to cause a rapid thaw in southern areas later in the day.
A second amber weather warning for snow is currently in effect for much of northern England, including Leeds, Sheffield, and the Lake District, and is set to last until midnight on Sunday. The Met Office warns that some rural areas may be isolated, with snow accumulation potentially reaching 40cm at elevations above 300 meters before conditions improve later in the day.
In southern England, a yellow weather warning for rain has been issued, leading to expected travel disruptions. Several airports, including Leeds Bradford, Manchester, and Liverpool John Lennon, closed their runways on Sunday morning due to heavy snowfall. Manchester reopened shortly after mid-morning, while Liverpool resumed operations at 10:15 am. However, Leeds Bradford announced its runway would remain closed until further notice for snow clearance.
Birmingham Airport briefly suspended operations overnight for safety reasons but resumed normal schedules by morning. Bristol Airport had reopened by 11 pm but cautioned about possible delays on Sunday. Affected airports, along with Belfast International, advised passengers to confirm details with their airlines.
National Highways reported that northern England could see up to 25cm of snow on the roads, leading to possible closures and icy conditions. Additionally, National Rail announced that the line between Leeds and Halifax was closed in both directions, with ongoing disruptions expected on northern routes into Monday.
In Devon, the Environment Agency has issued two flood warnings for the River Taw and the River Torridge, anticipating flooding on Sunday morning. The National Grid is actively working to restore power following outages in the Midlands, southwest England, and south Wales over the weekend.
Despite concerns about snowfall, Liverpool FC and Manchester United confirmed that their match at 4:30 pm on Sunday would proceed as scheduled. In addition to the amber warnings, the Met Office has issued widespread yellow warnings for snow and ice affecting nearly all of England and Wales through the weekend, including warnings for Northern Ireland until 6 pm on Sunday. The north and west of Scotland are under yellow warnings for snow and ice until 11 am on Monday, with a similar warning in eastern central Scotland lasting until midday on Monday. There is also a yellow rain warning in effect for much of Wales and the West Midlands on Sunday from 6 am to 9 pm.
The UK Health Security Agency has maintained cold weather health alerts for all of England as below-average temperatures are expected, with amber alerts in place until Wednesday due to an anticipated increase in winter-related health risks.
Councils in London and southern England have activated emergency measures for rough sleepers, providing extra accommodation during the cold weather.The Met Office predicts that sleet and snow will move north and east on Sunday, with the heaviest precipitation expected in northern England and southern Scotland. Snow showers are anticipated in northern Scotland by Monday.
After experiencing freezing rain, conditions in the south will become milder. While frost and icy patches may persist early in the week, Monday and Tuesday are expected to be drier with some sunny spells and scattered wintry showers, although temperatures will remain below average.