New snow and ice warning for Birmingham and Black Country as cold snap continues
A new snow and ice warning for Birmingham and the Black Country has been issued by the Met Office as the cold snap is set to end with a bite. The national weather forecaster issued a yellow warning for both snow and ice affecting much of the West Midlands, including the big cities and towns, all of Staffordshire and parts of Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
It said: “Wintry showers and icy patches are expected this evening and overnight, perhaps leading to some travel disruption.” The warning, which also covers north and west Wales. The East Midlands, the east coast, North West and all of Scotland and Northern Irleland was in place from noon today, Thursday, November 21 until 10am on Friday, November 22.
In Birmingham, wintry showers were expected to hit overnight, with the chances rising from ten per cent at 6pm on Thursday to 50 per cent at midnight and 70 per cent by 6am tomorrow, Friday, November 22. There could also be an overnight frost 'under the clearest skies' as temperatures plummet to -2 degrees Centigrade.
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The Met Office said: “Wintry showers are expected to gradually move south this afternoon, then feeding inland from Irish Sea and North Sea coasts at times this evening and overnight, especially through the Cheshire Gap to affect parts of the Midlands and north Wales. Where these occur two to five centimetres of fresh snow is possible, with this most likely on ground above 100m.
“Icy stretches are expected to form on untreated surfaces during Thursday evening and overnight into Friday morning as temperatures drop below freezing, especially following any showers.”
The Met Office said some roads and railways awee likely to be affected, with longer journey times by road, bus and train services. There will ‘probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths’. And there could be some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.
The weather forecaster offered advice for members of the public: “Keep yourself and your family safe when it is icy. Plan to leave the house at least five minutes earlier than normal. Not needing to rush, reduces your risk of accidents, slips, and falls.
“If you need to make a journey on foot, try to use pavements along main roads which are likely to be less slippery. Similarly, if cycling, try and stick to main roads which are more likely to have been treated.
“Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary. Be prepared for weather warnings to change: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area.
“Be prepared for weather warnings to change: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area.”
The cold snap was expected to last into the morning of Saturday, November 23 but will be replaced by milder, rainy and windy weather on Saturday afternoon as Storm Bert hits large parts of the UK over the weekend.