The UK is caught in a storm of severe weather conditions as snow and heavy rain bring much of the country to a standstill.
An enormous list of schools announced they would be closed this morning, giving youngsters an ultra-rare snow day. While kids and some parents may be pleased, the weather has brought more worrying threats in some parts. There are currently three Met Office weather warnings for snow and ice in place, with another to come tomorrow.
More than 190 locations across England are currently subject to urgent flood warnings issued by the Environment Agency, which is warning people living in the areas to “act now”. One area – the River Soar in Leicestershire – is subject to a severe “danger to life” flood warning. A further 286 flood alerts warn locals that flooding is possible though not certain.
The wintry weather swept through the UK overnight and is currently blanketing huge swathes of Scotland, northern England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Some more southerly areas will likely be impacted later today.
08:14Ryan Fahey
School closures today in full as pupils across UK get rare snow day
Schools across the country are closed today as Britain faces more heavy snow and icy conditions.
The Met Office warned wintry weather will sweep across the UK overnight on Tuesday, covering large parts of northern England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, before affecting some areas in the south later in the day. Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Frank Saunders, said last night: “Icy stretches which develop overnight as a result of these showers, or the recent wet conditions, could bring some disruption to travel. In addition to the ice, we could see snow accumulations of a few cm above 200m, with a chance of greater than 5cm above 200m in Wales.
“The heaviest snow showers may also produce temporary accumulations of 0-2cm at low levels. It is not possible to say exactly where this snow might fall, so it’s important that people are prepared.”
Children enjoying the snow in North Staffordshire (Image:Pete Stonier / Stoke Sentinel)
School closures today in full as pupils across UK get rare snow day