Amber weather warning issued as snow forecast
A warning for snow and freezing rain covering most of Wales and central England is in place from 6pm on Saturday to midday on Sunday
Last updated 3rd Jan 2025
A new amber weather warning for snow and ice has been issued for large parts of the UK over the weekend.
The Met Office has issued a warning for snow and freezing rain from 6pm on Saturday to midday on Sunday covering most of Wales and central England
The second warning for snow, covering most of northern England including much of Yorkshire and Humberside, has been issued from 9pm on Saturday to midnight on Sunday.
Up to 30cm of snowfall is expected locally in both warning areas, with 3 to 7cm likely in other areas.
Health minister Andrew Gwynne spoke to our Political Editor Georgie Prodromou earlier today and said that people need to put their heating on and make sure they stay warm:
Weather warnings for cold snap
The most recent amber warning comes after temperatures dropped today and a series of yellow weather warnings were already issued across the UK by the forecaster between Friday and Monday.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) cold weather health alerts for all of England remain in place ahead of a week of low temperatures.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: "The forecasted temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, including those aged 65 and over and those with pre-existing health conditions, and it is therefore vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.
"These people could be more at risk of heart attacks, stroke and chest infections as a result of cold temperatures."
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said on Friday it was "a weekend to layer up and put the heating on" due to the cold conditions.
He told BBC Breakfast: "We are heading into a cold snap this weekend and I know there are lots of concerns, not just amongst charity leaders, but also among NHS and social care leaders as well, about the particular risks and vulnerabilities this weekend as temperatures drop, both in terms of risk of accident and injury, but also risk from the cold itself.
"This is a weekend to wrap up and keep warm, to take sensible precautions about going out and about."