The Met Office has triggered significant weather alerts across England, placing fifteen regions under a yellow warning for snow and ice this week.
Affected Regions and Warning Timeline
The snow alert is active for 15 hours on Tuesday, November 18. This is followed by a separate snow and ice warning covering both Wednesday and Thursday. The areas under these Met Office warnings are extensive across the North East and parts of Yorkshire.
The full list of fifteen affected regions includes: Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland, East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, and North Yorkshire.
Expected Snowfall Accumulations
The Met Office forecasts that snow showers will feed inland from the North Sea throughout Wednesday and Thursday, leading to significant accumulations in some areas.
Where showers are most frequent, low-lying areas could see 2-5 cm of snow. On hills above 100 metres, accumulations of 5-10 cm are possible, with the potential for a substantial 15-20 cm on ground above 300 metres elevation.
The weather service also warned that some showers could be accompanied by strong gusts of wind and isolated lightning strikes.
Potential Impacts and Public Health Alert
The Met Office has outlined several potential consequences for the public. These include:
- Possible travel delays on roads, with some vehicles and passengers becoming stranded.
- Impassable untreated pavements and cycle paths due to ice and snow.
- A chance of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.
- Potential for power cuts and disruptions to other services, including mobile phone coverage.
- Some rural communities could become cut off entirely.
- Bus and train services may be delayed or cancelled, with road closures and longer journey times likely.
In a related development, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued an amber cold health alert for the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber. A less severe yellow cold health alert is in effect for the rest of England.
