Met Office forecasts snow within hours as cold health alert issued

Heavy snow is forecast in parts of England this evening with possible "snow flurries" in areas of Wales. It comes amid a cold weather [1] health alert from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) as temperatures continue to plummet. In Wales on Monday (December 8), the forecaster said people can expect "light sleet or snow flurries" later on, mainly in the south and middle of the country.

Some snow is also forecast to fall in Cheshire later today. Across England, the heaviest snow accumulations are expected in Wiltshire, the Met Office has said. Lows of -4?C are expected in parts of North Wales tonight, with the mercury falling to -5C in places on Tuesday night.

A yellow warning for ice comes into force in South Wales at 3pm today. Temperatures are forecast to recover slightly towards the end of the week but there is a possibility they could nosedive next week.

An amber cold-health alert has been issued and this will run until 12pm, Friday, January 12.

It covers North West of England, West Midlands, East Midlands and South West of England. This follows a yellow cold health alert which also covers North East England, Yorkshire and The Humber, London and the South East of England. Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: "With the Met Office forecasting drops in temperature across the United Kingdom, it is important to check in on the wellbeing of those most vulnerable to the cold.

"Cold weather can increase the risks of heart attacks, strokes, and chest infections, so it can have a serious impact on health, particularly for older people and those with pre-existing health conditions. The North Wales Live Whatsapp community for top stories and breaking news is live now - here's how to sign up [4] "Temperatures are expected to turn particularly cold overnight, as we would expect at this time of year.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65 it is important to try and heat the rooms where you spend most of your time, such as your living room or bedroom, in the coming days." According to the Met Office's weather map, light snow is forecast from 7pm tonight in the Vale of Glamorgan, and in parts of the border around Hay on Wye and Knighton. From around 9pm, "scattered light sleet or snow flurries" are expected across parts of the country, from Welshpool [5] and Newtown to Tregaron.

More flurries are forecast around Lampeter and across to Merthyr, Abergavenny and Monmouth. Some may extend further north towards the Bala area, Gwynedd [6][7] Steven Keates, Met Office deputy chief forecaster, said the cold will be a continuing theme, peaking earlier in the week before rising slightly towards the end of the week.

However next week has the potential to bring "significant snow", said the Met Office. Weather models show the prospect of extreme cold towards the end of the week and meteorologists are watching this carefully. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter [8] sent twice daily to your inbox

Much will depend if an area of high pressure migrates northwest, pulling in an even colder weather system from northeast Europe. While models currently indicate a high chance this will happen, low pressure systems could yet disrupt the outlook. In its long-range UK forecast, the Met Office said: "Towards mid-month, the high will likely decline or reorientate itself to the west or northwest of the UK, potentially allowing colder air with snow showers to filter south across the UK and/or for frontal systems to approach from the southwest.

"The latter scenario would also bring the potential for significant snow and also perhaps some heavy rain to parts of the south.

Either way a more unsettled outlook towards mid-month looks probable."

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References

^ weather (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^ Couple's BBC Escape to the Country's unexpected and sad end to dream home search in North Wales (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^ Locations of mobile speed cameras in North Wales for January 2024 and update on 20mph enforcement (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^ The North Wales Live Whatsapp community for top stories and breaking news is live now - here's how to sign up (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^ Welshpool (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^ Bala (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^ Gwynedd (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^ Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter (www.dailypost.co.uk)