UK weather: cold snap brings warning of ice and calls to slow down on roads

A warning of icy conditions has been put in place for almost the whole of the UK until Wednesday morning, prompting police to urge drivers to slow down.

The yellow “be aware” warning covers Scotland, Northern Ireland and the bulk of England and Wales apart from some coastal areas. It came into force at 4pm on Tuesday and continues until 11am on Wednesday.

Wednesday was expected to be the chilliest day of the week, with northern areas waking up to temperatures of minus 2C (28F). Coastal areas could expect more snow and sleet showers throughout the day.

The Met Office warned of the risk of falls on icy surfaces and ice on roads, pavements and cycle paths on the morning commute.

The weather front has brought snow on higher ground and occasional dustings at lower levels. On Tuesday the Met Office warned of further brief snowfalls on high ground in southern Scotland, northern England and north Wales. More snow will follow from the north-west, with up to 3cm on higher ground and some covering on lower ground.

Forecasters said ice was likely to form on some surfaces overnight and there would be further wintry showers at times.

Travellers faced some disruption as roads were closed and flights delayed. By mid-morning on Tuesday, Police Scotland had received 125 reports of road incidents, and the force said motorists should drive to the conditions.

The A83 was blocked in Argyll and Bute and the B974 in Aberdeenshire was closed after vehicles got stuck in snow. Flights to Glasgow and Edinburgh from Stornoway airport were delayed and three schools in the Highlands were shut because of the weather.

Highways England warned drivers of “quite heavy” snow on the M62 trans-Pennine route, where efforts were under way to keep the road open using ploughs and salt.

On the M6, snow caused the closure of the southbound entry sliproad at junction 4 overnight, although the road was reopened in the early hours of Tuesday. Light snow fell in south-east England as the wintry front moved down the country.

The Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said: “The showers will continue to make their way further eastwards. An ice warning covers Northern Ireland, western Scotland and much of England and Wales.

“The showers will on the whole fade away overnight, just persisting down those western coasts, and it will be another cold night. Towns and cities will be around or just below freezing. But outside the cities, temperatures [will be] a good few degrees below that. In Scotland you may see a few spots drop as low at -9 or -10C.”