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Snow and ice are expected across most of Scotland, as well as parts of the north and south of England, Northern Ireland and Wales as 2020 comes to a cold conclusion.
Covid restrictions mean there is less traffic on the roads, but the Met Office has warned of dangerous driving conditions in areas covered by yellow warnings.
Tuesday night was the coldest so far this winter and the coldest of the year. Dalwhinnie, in the Scottish Highlands, recorded a low of -10.2 ° C. The Met Office said cold weather is expected to continue, with winter rains in many places on Wednesday afternoon, particularly near the coasts. windward.
Yellow snow and ice advisories are in effect in the northern and western parts of Scotland and northern Northern Ireland until 11am on New Years Eve. For South and East Scotland, North West England and North Wales, they will apply from 6pm on Wednesday to 2pm on New Years Eve.
A yellow ice warning was also issued for the south coast of England from 6pm Wednesday to 11am on New Years Eve. It is also possible that it will snow a little on the south coast, but it is unlikely that it will be as strong as previously forecast.
Meteorological Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “It seems likely that a frontal Atlantic system will bring a mixture of rain, sleet and snow.”
Clare Nasir, a forecaster with the Met Office, said: “2021 begins as 2020 ended, on a very cold note with the risk of widespread winter rains and frosts.”
Difficult driving conditions are likely to affect supermarket delivery drivers even more. Sainsbury’s and Tesco have already canceled purchase orders as several inches of snow settled in parts of the UK.
Lancashire Police Deputy Chief Terry Woods said Tuesday that several vehicles were stuck on the higher roads and officers had to rescue their occupants. He said the roads were only passable by 4×4 and advised people not to travel unless essential.
Highways England has also alerted motorists, with AA reminding drivers that stopping distances could be 10 times longer on icy roads.
AA’s Ben Sheridan said: “Before leaving, it is important to completely defrost the car, remove snow from the roof and make sure all the lights are working so you can see and be seen. Check the conditions along your route before leaving and make sure you have enough fuel in case of delays.
“Winter essentials, such as warm, waterproof layers, a shovel, a flashlight, a fully charged mobile phone, and a hot drink bottle are also worth bringing along.”
Floods can also exacerbate dangerous driving conditions in some parts of the country. Thirty-seven flood warnings, indicating that flooding is expected and immediate action is required, were implemented in England on Wednesday afternoon, along with 80 flood warnings, indicating that flooding is possible and that people it must be prepared.
