COLD COMFORT
UK weather: Met Office issues yellow warnings for heavy snow and ice causing travel chaos with new amber health alert
Scroll down to find out the Met Office forecast for today
THE Met Office has issued yellow warnings for heavy snow and ice causing travel chaos - along with a new amber health alert.
A yellow warning will be in place for north east England and northern Scotland from 5pm today until 11am tomorrow.
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Forecasters said icy patches and snow could lead to "hazardous conditions".
Puddles from wintry showers will likely freeze overnight on untreated surfaces like roads, pavements and cycle paths.
Up to 5cm of snow may fall in northeast England, with 1-3cm forecast elsewhere in the warning zone.
Bad delays are expected for drivers and commuters travelling by bus and train on frozen-over routes.
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The UKHSA has also issued an amber health alert for northern England - warning of an "increased risk of mortality" for over-65s and those with underlying conditions.
Hospitals and GP surgeries will also "likely" be busier due to increased demand, and temperatures in hospitals and care homes may fall below the recommended threshold.
And travel delays, transport issues and energy problems could also trigger staffing issues, putting lives at risk, the UKHSA said.
The amber alert, which is in force from 6pm on November 28 to midday on December 5, covers the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and The Humber.
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Yellow alerts, which are valid for the same period, are in place for the East and West Midlands, where "minor impacts are probable".
Complications are "possible" in the East of England, London, the South East and South West, which are coded green.
RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said the service is expecting to see "a sharp rise in breakdowns this week" as the nation is in the grip of the cold blast and car batteries falter.
He urged drivers to get their cars checked and to bring some winter gear on their journeys in case they get stuck in sub-zero temperatures.
Temperatures are set to fall below zero across much of the UK over the coming days.
There will be wintry showers up and down the east coast and the north as cold air blows in from the North Sea.
As the mercury sinks, there is also a chance of snow and ice across parts of the south.
Met Office expert David Oliver said: "We could see an area of warmer and moisture-laden air ‘bumping’ into the cold air further north.
"Along the boundary of the two air masses lies a zone across southern and central Britain where snowfall could develop fairly widely.
"Snow in any affected area is unlikely to be anything more than transient and short-live.
"But it could lead to small totals and some disruption over a few hours before melting."
High ground across the north of England and Scotland will see snow today, Met Office forecasters say.
Meanwhile a "zone" across the Midlands and the south of England will also see widespread snow later in the week.
But it is unlikely to settle for longer than a few hours.
The UKHSA has issued a yellow cold-health alert for northern England, which will be in place for the rest of the week.
Today is forecast to be largely dry, with plenty of late autumnal sunshine.
There will be a scattering of showers - and a chance of snow showers in north east Scotland.
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This evening will see showers in coastal area and clear skies elsewhere in the UK.
A widespread frost will form overnight along with stretches of fog and ice.
Which areas are covered by the yellow warning?
- Central Scotland
- Tayside
- Fife
- Grampian
- Highlands
- Eilean Siar
- Orkney
- Shetland
- South west Scotland
- Lothian
- Borders
- North-east England
- Yorkshire
- Humber
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