The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for snow and ice across parts of the UK as temperatures are set to fall next week.
Although we are headed into spring, the Met Office warns that a northerly airflow will bring decidedly wintery disruptive weather.
An area of high pressure which is currently over Scotland is set to move west, allowing a ‘allowing a northerly airflow to sweep across the UK’.
An ‘arctic maritime airmass’ will then bring snow showers across Northern Ireland, Scotland and the east coast of England, the Met Office has said.
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Yellow weather warnings have been issued from early Monday morning across northern and eastern areas of the UK, including Scotland, where the first flurries of snow are set to fall.
The warning reads: “Snow showers are likely to cause some disruption to travel with a small chance of more widespread disruption for some.”
The Met Office has said as much as 5-10 cm of snow could land in northern Scotland and that ‘icy conditions are likely to cause travel disruption’.
The warnings remain in place on Tuesday, with the Met Office stating: “Frequent snow showers will continue, causing further disruption in places.”
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Deputy Chief Meteorologist from the Met Office, Chris Almond, said: “Very cold air will spread across the UK from late on Sunday through early next week.
“This brings with it snow even to low levels in the north and east through Monday and Tuesday, and in excess of 10cm could accumulate, most likely on high ground in the north, but also settling for a time at lower levels.
“With freezing overnight temperatures and the risk of ice, there’s a risk of some travel disruption and wintry hazards are likely to persist through much of next week, even further south for a time, so keep an eye on the Met Office forecast for the latest information.”
As a result of the dropping temperatures, the UK Health Security Agency has issued a Level 2 Cold Weather Alert for the whole of England
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Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: “During periods like this, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may be more vulnerable to the cold weather, as it can have a serious impact on health.
“If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat your home to at least 18C if you can.”
Claire Reid