Met Office warns 'power cuts' could hit 19 parts of England in snow blast

The Met Office has issued an urgent power cuts warning for a swathe of northern England as we head into a week that has seen three days of snow alerts issued. Forecasters have warned power cuts could sweep the north before the end of the week.

Major towns and cities impacted include Derby, Lincoln, Nottingham, Darlington, Gateshead, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough, as well as Newcastle upon Tyne. Other areas impacted are Sunderland, Blackburn, Chester, Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Warrington.

Further south, Stoke-on-Trent could also be hit, while in Yorkshire, there are warnings for Leeds, Hull and York, as well as Sheffield. "There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected," it states.

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The yellow weather warning - for Monday into Tuesday - adds: "A period of rain, sleet and snow will occur during Monday evening, overnight into Tuesday morning. The most likely scenario is for most of the snow to accumulate on hills, with 5 to 10 cm possible above 200 metres and perhaps as much as 15 to 20 cm above 300 metres. There is a small chance of snow settling at lower levels, where 5 to 10 cm would prove much more disruptive, but this remains very uncertain.

"As rain, sleet and snow clear on Tuesday morning, ice may form on untreated surfaces." It adds: "People cope better when they have prepared in advance for the risk of power cuts or being cut off from services and amenities due to the snow.

"It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items. Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area."