Amber alert for cold weather issued for Devon as 'Storm Darcy' sweeps towards UK
Temperatures are set to plummet and some parts of the country are braced for more snow
An amber alert for cold weather has been issued for the whole of Devon and the south-west.
The Met Office says its Dutch counterpart, KNMI, has named Storm Darcy which is set to bring strong winds and snow to parts of the UK.
Some areas, particularly south-east England, are expected to see the white stuff over the coming days.
Whilst no flurries are forecast in the Duchy and there are currently no official weather warnings in force here, we can expect to see very low temperatures with the risk of ice.
The Met Office cold weather alert says there is a 90% probability of freezing conditions across the south-west.
The amber alert came into force at 9am on Saturday (6th February) and will be in force until 9pm on Wednesday (10th February).
What does a cold weather alert mean?
The cold weather health watch comprises five levels of response based on cold weather thresholds.
The thresholds have been developed to trigger an alert when severe cold weather is likely to significantly affect people's health.
The alerts take account of temperature along with other winter weather threats such as ice and snow.
The south-west is currently on a Level 3 Amber Alert, which means 'Cold Weather Action'.
What does the cold weather alert say?
“There is a 90% probability of severe cold weather between 0900 on Saturday 06 Feb and 2100 on Wednesday 10 Feb in parts of England.
“This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services.
“Please refer to the national Cold Weather Plan and your Trust's emergency plan for appropriate preventive action.
“Although temperatures will be slightly milder today, it will become much colder over the weekend with a strong easterly wind flow developing: during Saturday in the north, reaching the south Saturday night, with wintry showers in eastern and northern counties. This will likely lead to icy conditions on roads and risk of travel disruption.
“There is an increasing risk of significant snowfall in the far southeast / East Anglia as well Saturday night into Sunday.
“Very cold temperatures will spread to all parts of the country by the end of Sunday and into Monday morning - the coldest period of the winter so far.
“Indications are that all parts of England are going into a notable cold spell of weather as we head into the coming week with sharp overnight frosts, and temperatures near freezing by day, together with cold winds.
“An update will be issued when the alert level changes in any region. Alerts are issued once a day by 0900 if required and are not subject to amendment in between standard issue times.
“Note that the details of the forecast weather are valid at the time of issue but may change over the period that an alert remains in force. These details will not be updated here unless the alert level also changes, the latest forecast details can be obtained here____”.
Met Office
You can check the latest cold weather alert information for Cornwall and the south-west here.