FESTIVE FREEZE
UK weather: Met Office issues yellow warning for ICE after 82mph winds as hundreds of flights cancelled & ferries axed
A weather warning for wind remains in place
BRITS have been warned to brace for 82mph winds and travel chaos at the Met Office issues a fresh weather warning.
A yellow alert for ice is now in place, which continues into next week, just as the nation prepares for Christmas getaways.
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The warning, for ice, covers the Scottish Highlands and is in place from 9pm tonight until 10am tomorrow.
Met Office forecasters warned those affected can expect some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.
And there could be some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.
It comes as Heathrow Airport already confirmed around 100 flights were cancelled today and passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling.
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A Heathrow spokesperson said: “Due to strong winds and airspace restrictions, a small number of flights have been cancelled today. This will ensure the vast majority of passengers can still travel as planned.
“We know how important travel at this time of year is and have extra colleagues on hand in our terminals to support people on their journeys. We encourage passengers to check with their airline for the latest information about their flight.”
Elsewhere, in Northern Ireland, a flight suffered a hard landing while arriving in Belfast today because of stormy conditions.
The Aer Lingus regional flight landed at around 4pm after flying from Edinburgh.
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The runway was closed for the remainder of the day, Belfast City Airport said.
Several Loganair flights from Glasgow Airport to the Hebridean islands were also scrapped.
Meanwhile, P&O Ferries cancelled journeys between Larne in Northern Ireland and Cairnryan in southern Scotland until at least 8pm tonight.
And, 18 CalMac ferry routes have also been axed.
Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud told the PA news agency that Sunday could see gusts of up to 75mph.
He said: “There will continue to be more challenging travel conditions, with coastal areas seeing around 50 to 60mph winds.
“Extremely exposed coastal areas could see up to 70 or 75mph and parts of the west are expected to see 40 or 50mph.
“In the evening we are expecting these to ease and gradually drop off.
“My advice for people travelling today and tonight is to take it easy, particularly in the north and east. The main concern is that there’s the potential for icy patches in some areas.”
It comes as a map revealed where snow was due to fall in Britain today - as the Met Office also gave its weather forecast for Christmas Day.
Today's map shows snow, sleet and hail falling across large swathes of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland - as well as heavy rainfall.
In the early hours of this morning, around 3am to 4am, snow fell across the north, northwest and Midlands - with small patches even creeping into the southeast around Norwich and Cambridge.
As the morning wore on, larger patches of snow, sleet and hail could be seen making their way south of Manchester towards Birmingham and down from Scotland, skirting Newcastle towards the middle of the country.
Patches of rain accompanied the snow on its route - while heavier showers were experienced on the southwest coast around Plymouth and Cornwall.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland and Scotland saw more widespread snow, easing later in the morning.
A yellow weather warning is currently in force for wind in the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - covering the northeast, northwest, southwest and West Midlands, as well as Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Hampshire.
The Met Office said: "It's a cold, blustery start to Sunday, and as the sequence shows we're even seeing a little snow in places this morning, chiefly over hills towards the north and west."
In its full forecast for the day, it added: "Widely windy with gales, severe in the north and west.
"Frequent showers arriving from the northwest, heavy with hail and providing snow over hills before gradually fading later.
"Sunny spells in between, but feeling very cold in the strong winds."
For tonight, it predicted: "Showers becoming confined to far eastern coasts and winds slowly moderating.
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"Clear spells overnight for most, but cloud building in the west towards dawn. Touch of frost in sheltered spots."
The weather service also released a forecast for the days leading up to Christmas.
Cold Arctic air, currently making its way across the British Isles after sweeping in from the Atlantic, will give way tomorrow.
This will give way to Mild Atlantic air coming in from the southwest, making for a calm but cloudy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The Met Office said: "It will be feeling cold for all of us during the rest of the weekend.
"However as we head towards Christmas, milder Atlantic air will move in, with many of us seeing a grey Christmas rather than a white one."
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It comes after yesterday saw 70mph winds that sparked travel chaos before Christmas.
Heathrow Airport was forced to cancel flights, while P&O Ferries announced that journeys between Larne and Cairnryan had been cancelled until at least 8pm on Sunday.
5-day weather forecast
Today
Widely windy with gales, severe in the north and west. Frequent showers arriving from the northwest, heavy with hail and providing snow over hills before gradually fading later. Sunny spells in between, but feeling very cold in the strong winds.
Tonight
Showers becoming confined to far eastern coasts and winds slowly moderating. Clear spells overnight for most, but cloud building in the west towards dawn. Touch of frost in sheltered spots.
Monday
Dry and fine in the east with prolonged periods of sunshine, though feeling chilly. Outbreaks of rain and extensive low cloud spreading into western areas, and turning mild.
Tuesday-Thursday
Predominantly settled, mild and cloudy for the Christmas period. Best chance of brighter spells to the east of high ground. Wetter and windier across northwest Scotland.
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