North Wales coastal flood alert issued as people urged to take care near the sea

A flood alert has been issued for a long stretch of the North Wales coast. Natural Resources Wales [NRW] has issued an alert which spans much of the region's coastline.

The alert is in place from the Dee Estuary in Flintshire, across to the east coast of Anglesey. NRW said: "There is a risk of flooding as a result of the combination of the high tides and weather conditions for tonight's high tide. Flooding of low-lying land and roads is expected.

"Be careful on beaches, promenades, coastal footpaths, roads, low lying land, close to the estuary. We will continue to monitor the situation."

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A weather warning for snow and ice is also due to come into force at 7pm tonight. It will remain in place until 10am, and covers Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham.

The Met Office warned the conditions could lead to travel disruption, power cuts and injuries from slips or falls. They warned some rural communities could be cut off.

A spokesperson said: "The most likely scenario is for most of the snow to accumulate on hills, with 5 to 10cm possible above 200 metres and perhaps as much as 15 to 20cm above 300 metres. There is a chance of snow settling at lower levels, where 5 to 10cm would prove much more disruptive - this remains uncertain, but seems most likely across parts of Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

"As rain, sleet and snow clear on Tuesday morning, ice may form on untreated surfaces." Dan Suri, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, added: “An area of low pressure slides its way eastwards on Monday night. The associated frontal system, marking the boundary between cold air in the north and milder conditions to the south, will bring disruptive snow to some areas between Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

“This is likely to coincide with rush hour, leading to disruption to some transport routes across a central swathe of the UK on Tuesday morning. It will also be windy in the far south. Updates to the warnings throughout the week are likely, so it is important to stay up to date with the latest forecast”

The Met Office said that as this front clears on Tuesday, things will turn much colder for all areas across the UK for the rest of the week. A spokesperson said: "Daytime temperatures will be in the low single figures for most, potentially slightly less cold in the far south, though sub-zero wind chill is likely.

"Despite the cold temperatures, there will be a good deal of sunshine away from the wintry showers near the coasts. Further snow accumulations are expected across the week, mostly by night at low levels, in northern Scotland and exposed parts elsewhere.

"There remains a small possibility of a more organised band of rain or snow affecting the far south west through Thursday as a larger system runs into the continent, though most models suggest this keeping to the English Channel."

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