Met Office issues fresh warning as snowstorms batter Britain in Arctic cold snap – and map shows where rare amber alerts in place

The Met Office has issued a fresh warning as snowstorms batter Britain, with rare amber alerts active in some areas.

The Arctic blast has brought heavy snow, freezing rain, and ice that has shut roads, halted travel and caused power outages across the UK this weekend.

Amber alerts are in place from 6pm last night to midday today, stretching from Nottingham up to Newcastle-upon-Tyne for snow and ice.

This means there is a good chance of power cuts, some drivers being stranded and rural communities could be cut off, with pavements likely to be ‘impassable’.

There are also Yellow warnings for rain, snow and ice across most of the UK, with some lasting until late tomorrow afternoon.

The forecaster issued a fresh Yellow warning for heavy rainfall in the South of England, with flooding likely on some roads.

Snow and sleet has spread across northern England and into southern Scotland today. 

Further south, freezing rain has pummelled parts of north Wales and central England, before turning drier and milder in the far south.

Last night, even London managed to see some flurries but it had thawed by the time Brits woke up this morning.

However, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds Bradford airports have been forced to shut their runways this morning due to snowy weather conditions.

Birmingham Airport confirmed it has now reopened its runway after snow clearing, but passengers are advised to check with their airlines for updates.

Passengers on London North Eastern Railway (LNER) have been urged to defer their rail journeys tomorrow on the East Coast main line.

The company said in a statement: ‘Due to heavy snow, train services running across the whole London North Eastern Railway network may be cancelled or delayed.

‘LNER tickets for travel on Sunday 5 January will be valid for use on Monday 6 January.

‘If you are unable to defer your journey, you can use your ticket on the following train companies at no extra cost: TransPennine Express between Manchester, Leeds and York/Newcastle. Northern on any reasonable route. Great Northern and Thameslink between London Kings Cross, Stevenage and Peterborough.

‘Please be aware that other operators’ services are also likely to be busy. We’re working with Network Rail to get our services moving again as quickly as possible.’

The Met Office said Bingley, West Yorkshire, has seen 12cm of snow until 7am this morning, with Shap in Cumbria and Capel Curig, Gwynedd, both seeing 10cm.

The forecaster has updated severe weather warnings covering areas of the Midlands, Wales and much of northern England today.

Much of the UK is affected by the warnings, including Birmingham, Newcastle and parts of Cardiff.

Manchester Airport was forced to shut its runways this morning due to heavy overnight snowfall.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the airport confirmed: ‘Our runways are temporarily closed due to heavy snow, as our teams work hard to clear them as quickly as possible.

‘The safety of our passengers is our top priority, and we appreciate your patience during this time. Please check with your airline for the latest flight information and allow extra travel time today.’

It announced shortly before 10am that it has reopened but warned of delays as staff work to ‘de-ice’ aircraft. 

The heavy overnight snow caused widespread disruption across the UK as the cold start to the new year continues.

National Highways warned that up to 25cm of snow could affect roads in northern England.

Snow closed the A628 Woodhead Pass which connects Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire through the Peak District overnight in both directions between the A616 at Flouch and the A57 at Hollingworth.

The A66 in County Durham and Cumbria was closed between the M6 and A1M because of the conditions, while two of four lanes on the M1 northbound between J30 Worksop and J31 Sheffield in South Yorkshire were shut after a collision involving a HGV.

National Rail said the line between Leeds and Halifax via Dewbury was closed in both directions, with disruption on northern routes expected into Monday.

Avanti West Coast trains running to and from Liverpool Lime Street were cancelled due to depot issues with disruption expected until midday.

One lane of the northbound A3 in Hampshire was closed on Sunday morning due to flooding following overnight snow, National Highways said.

The Environment Agency issued three flood warnings for Sunday morning on the River Taw and the River Torridge in Devon, and on the River Brue in Somerset.

The National Grid said it had been working to restore power after outages across the Midlands, south-west England and South Wales on Saturday. The company’s live map shows power cuts across the region on Sunday morning, including in Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff.

Two amber weather warnings from the Met Office have been put in place in England and Wales, with 3cm to 7cm of snowfall predicted for much of the affected area, mixing with rain at times in lower-lying areas.

The Met Office said Bingley, West Yorkshire, had seen 12cm of snow up to 7am on Sunday, with Shap in Cumbria and Capel Curig, Gwynedd, both seeing 10cm.

One amber warning for snow and freezing rain, which covers much of Wales and the Midlands as far north as Manchester, is in place until midday on Sunday.

Higher ground in Wales and the southern Pennines could see 15cm to 30cm of snow, the forecaster said, with milder air leading to a rapid thaw in the south of the warning area through Sunday.

The second amber warning for snow, covering most of northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District, is in place until midnight on Sunday.

National Highways also warned rain may initially fall on frozen ground and lead to ice, with areas of high ground, including the Cotswolds and Peak District, most at risk.

A yellow warning for snow and ice covers most of the remaining parts of England and Wales until midnight, while a similar warning covers large parts of Northern Ireland from 6pm on Sunday.

The north of Scotland is covered by a yellow warning for ice until 10am on Sunday, with another for snow and ice in the east of central Scotland until 6am on Monday.

A new yellow rain warning for southern England from Cornwall across to Kent was issued and put in place on Sunday morning and will last until 9am on Monday.

There is also a yellow warning for rain covering much of Wales and the West Midlands on Sunday from 6am to 9pm.

UK Health Security Agency cold weather health alerts for all of England remain in place ahead of a week of low temperatures.

Amber alerts were issued on Thursday and will run until Wednesday, meaning a rise in deaths is likely, the agency said.

Councils across London and southern England have activated emergency measures including additional accommodation to help rough sleepers stay safe during the cold snap.

The Met Office forecast the sleet and snow will continue to push north on Sunday and be heaviest in northern England and into southern Scotland.

After experiencing freezing rain for a time, the south will turn milder.

Frost and icy patches will continue through the early part of the week, but Monday and Tuesday will become drier with sunny spells and scattered wintry showers. Wednesday will be cloudier with hazy sunshine.

Wintry showers are possible in the south early on Thursday before Friday becomes more settled ahead of a cloud and rain in the west before largely settled conditions from next weekend.