Snow on the way as amber cold-health alert issued

UK

The Met Office has issued new weather warnings for Monday – and said that snow showers are on the way that could turn “quite heavy”.

A yellow weather warning will come into force at 4am and states that ice and snow are likely to affect roads and train services in parts of Greater London, Kent, Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex.

Meanwhile, an amber cold-health alert has been issued for the North West of England, West Midlands, East Midlands and South West of England. This will be in place until Friday.

A yellow cold-health alert remains for the North East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, East of England, South East of England and London for most of next week.

It comes as many parts of the country attempt to recover from the aftermath of Storm Henk, which caused widespread flooding and two deaths.

The yellow weather warning states that temperatures will drop to near zero in the early hours of Monday morning as “a mix of sleet and snow showers” move in, the Met Office has said.

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The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for ice and snow on Monday morning
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The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for ice and snow on Monday morning

Their forecasters predict that the heaviest snow will fall over the North Downs in Sussex.

The Met Office has warned the public that journeys may take longer on Monday morning and urged people to allow extra time for journeys and try to stick to main roads when walking or cycling.

Sky weather presenter Jo Wheeler said: “At this time of year, clearer conditions with light winds are likely to result in overnight frosts, fog and icy stretches on roads and pavements.

“Today, we’re seeing a cold pool of air moving into southern areas with the potential for overnight showers to fall as sleet or snow over the higher ground.

“With night-time temperatures close to freezing, even in the towns and cities, there’s also a risk of showers falling on frozen surfaces and turning instantly to ice.”

The yellow ice warning expires at 10am on Monday.

An amber cold-health alert “means cold weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service for an extended period of time, with potential for the whole population to be at risk,” the latest announcement states.

The UKHSA has urged anyone with pre-existing medical conditions or over the age of 65 to be especially cautious amid the cold weather and to “try and heat the rooms where you spend most of your time” this week.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today visited flood-hit areas of Oxfordshire, where he spoke to people on their doorsteps before meeting with Environment Agency workers.

A road near the depot remains flooded with water from the River Thames.

Speaking with six workers, Mr Sunak said: “Gosh it’s very busy but largely you’ve been successful getting everything to safety?”

After the workers responded with “yes”, the prime minister said: “When it happens, it happens, you’ve just got to keep working.”

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