Met Office issues ICE warning as ‘Troll of Trondheim’ bears down on Britain: Snow to hit TODAY with Arctic blast set to whip country with blizzards and -9C plunge
- Britain is set to freeze under a sheet of ice as ‘Troll of Trondheim’ blasts country
- Scotland is set for plunging temperatures, snow, ice and blizzards today
- The Met Office has issued yellow weather alerts for today and tomorrow
Britain is set to freeze under a sheet of ice this week as an Arctic blast dubbed the ‘Troll of Trondheim’ blasts the country.
Scotland is set for plunging temperatures, snow, ice and blizzards today, with forecasters warning of travel chaos and potential injuries as the Met Office issues yellow weather alerts for the North of the country for today.
Forecasters also warned of ice and even snow across large parts of England and Wales tomorrow.
Up to four inches of snow is predicted to fall above 650ft with temperatures set to plummet as low as -9C in some areas. But forecasters warned that even at lower levels, the mercury will drop and up to 2in of snow could fall. A ‘strong’ northerly wind is also likely to produce ‘drifting and blizzard conditions’ in some areas, according to meteorologists.
Travellers have been warned to expect delays on the roads and railways and to be aware of icy surfaces underfoot.
Scotland is set for plunging temperatures, snow, ice and blizzards today (left), with forecasters warning of travel chaos and potential injuries as the Met Office issues yellow weather alerts for the North of the country for today. Forecasters also warned of ice and even snow across large parts of England and Wales tomorrow (right)
Scotland is set for plunging temperatures, snow, ice and blizzards today. Pictured, a car driving at Glenshee, near Braemar, Aberdeenshire
The RAC has advised motorists to check their vehicles are ‘winter ready’, with properly inflated tyres that have good tread.
The Met Office has advised people to try and maintain indoor temperatures of at least 18C, stating that this is particularly relevant for those who are not mobile, have a long-term illness or are 65 or over.
It has also asked people to ‘look out for friends and family who may be vulnerable to the cold’, ensuring they have access to warm food and drinks and are managing to heat their homes adequately.
The Met Office warning told Scots to expect, ‘some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces’ and ‘some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths’.
Senior meteorologist Alex Burk-hill said: ‘The warning will affect the northern third of Scotland.
‘We have a cold northerly wind with plenty of showers and as the temperature drops this will fall as snow. It is going to be pretty horrible conditions, with temperatures dropping overnight and remaining cold in the day.’
He added: ‘Areas which do see snow fall can expect some blizzards due to that strong northerly wind. Because there are showers forecast there could be some parts within the warning area that don’t actually see snowfall, but there is a pretty significant risk there will be something.’
Maintenance team Bear NW Trunk Roads said it was working ’round the clock’ to ensure routes remain open.
A statement from the road organisation said yesterday: ‘We will have 29 gritters out making sure the roads are safe from 2pm today and will have a further 18 patrolling the routes to make sure they stay safe.’
Bosses at Glencoe Mountain Resort in Argyll have spent the past few weeks manufacturing snow ahead of the sledging season, which reopens tomorrow.
The Met Office said it expected conditions to remain cold into next week with temperatures remaining ‘well below average for the time of year’.
And its deputy chief meteorologist, Rebekah Sherwin, admitted: ‘More severe weather warnings could be needed as we head through the week.’
Forecaster Oli Claydon said: ‘Day to day we are in cold conditions already with that north-easterly flow, but conditions are set to get colder through the week, with the worst showers across northern Scotland but also bringing much colder conditions across all the UK.
‘Overnight lows of -10C to -11C in areas where we do get snow in those rural parts of Scotland, with temperatures down to -6C in rural England. Cold conditions to remain through the weekend. Signs of warmer weather moving in from the southwest from Tuesday next week.
Forecasters issued the second highest level of alert – amber – with wintry showers and snow predicted to hit from tomorrow evening until next Monday. The amber warning is triggered when temperatures drop to an average of 2C or below for at least 48 hours
Matt Peddle walking his dog Molly at Glenshee, near Braemar, Aberdeenshire
Temperatures in parts of the Scottish Highlands could plunge to as low as -10C this week. Pictured: Traffic on the A939 Cockbridge to Tomintoul road
What is a level 3 cold weather alert?
The Met Office has triggered a level 3, or amber, cold weather alert warning of severe conditions in England from 6pm tomorrow to 9am on Monday December 12.
The alert means the cold weather could increase health risks to vulnerable people and it requires social and healthcare services to take action to protect high-risk groups.
The Met Office said air from the Arctic will spread south across the country from late tomorrow evening with very cold nights expected as well as frosts.
Wintry showers are also likely in coastal areas bringing risks of icy patches on roads.
‘But the signs are that the cold weather will hold in the north of the UK, so there will be a split between north and south.’
People should expect snow showers and ice to cause travel disruption and a risk of slippery surfaces.
Warnings will remain in place until tomorrow afternoon, but the cold weather will not begin to shift until early next week.
Age UK has advised maintaining a supply of food and medicine to reduce the number of outdoor trips and torches with spare batteries in case of a power cut.
Homeless people in London are to be sheltered after the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) was activated for the first time this winter to provide emergency accommodation for rough sleepers.
The Met Office’s long range forecast suggests that the cold snap may not last until Christmas and the New Year, when it could get milder, although wetter and windier in southern and western areas. The long range forecast predicts that the north and east are ‘most likely to hold on to colder conditions for longest’.
Downing Street said it is confident that the UK has sufficient energy supplies, as the country braces for severe cold weather in the coming days.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘The UK has a diverse energy supply via renewables or otherwise. So we are confident we have diverse supply.’
The spokesman said the Government had never sought to be ‘prescriptive’ with advice for the public.
‘The Government has for some time now provided advice to the public should they wish to find ways to save energy – that’s available in the Help for Households website.’
He added that the Government would be launching a campaign to ‘further boost’ that information.
The Met Office’s cold weather alert system operates in England from November 1 to March 31 in association with the UKHSA.
The system has five levels of response based on cold weather thresholds designed to trigger an alert when severe cold weather is likely to significantly affect people’s health.
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