The Met Office predicts temperatures could drop to -20C, prompting extended amber alerts across the UK until January 12.
Inverness: So, the Met Office is saying it’s going to get really cold. We might see temperatures hit minus 20C in northern parts of the UK this Friday night. They’ve put out weather warnings for ice across Wales, Northern Ireland, and a good chunk of eastern England until Friday morning.
Just the other night, Inverness-shire recorded a low of minus 12.4C. And it looks like some valleys in Scotland could drop to between minus 12C and minus 16C tonight. A meteorologist from the Met Office, Liam Eslick, mentioned it’s going to be a chilly few days ahead.
He also said that pretty much everywhere in the UK is likely to see temperatures below freezing, which means we’ll have some serious frost and ice forming overnight.
Oh, and don’t forget about the freezing fog! It’s expected to roll in overnight across central and south-east England, plus parts of Wales. It might be a bit stubborn to clear up on Friday morning, but where it does, we could see some bright sunshine.
Meanwhile, Devon and Cornwall might get a bit cloudy with some rain moving in, and Dartmoor and Exmoor could see some snow. There’s even a chance of snow in northern Scotland and the far north-east of England on Friday.
Eslick warned that since the rain will be falling on cold ground, it could turn icy. So, if you’re out and about, be careful! But hey, away from the freezing fog, it should be nice and sunny.
As for Friday night, we’re looking at the coldest temperatures of this snap, especially in Scotland and northern England, with lows between minus 15C and minus 20C. Eslick said we might not see many places hit minus 20C, but a couple could just touch that mark.
It’s all about the high pressure and clear skies, especially where there’s still snow on the ground. That’s the perfect recipe for plummeting temperatures overnight.
Things should start warming up as we get closer to Monday. Saturday will still be cold, but clouds will roll in from the west, which should help keep temperatures from dropping too fast. Sunday will be chilly too, but not as bad as the days before.
By Monday, we should see temperatures back to the usual 7C or 8C for this time of year.
Travel has been a bit of a mess with all this snow and wind. Manchester Airport had to close its runways for a bit due to heavy snow but reopened later. Transport for Wales also shut down some rail lines because of track damage from the weather.
With icy conditions sticking around, drivers are being told to stick to major roads that are likely to be gritted. The RAC has reported a huge spike in rescue requests, the highest since December 2022.
Lastly, the UK Health Security Agency has extended its cold weather health alert for all of England until Sunday. The amber alerts are now running until January 12, which means we could see an increase in health risks.
