Travel chaos expected as arctic blast sees snow and ice warnings upgraded across the UK

Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are already in place for parts of the UK, ahead of amber snow warnings for northern Scotland, which are set to begin at midday on Friday.

Travel disruption is expected as wintry weather moves southeastwards over parts of England and Wales on January 2.

A yellow weather warning for snow and ice is in place throughout Friday morning for an area covering London, Greater Manchester and Cardiff.

Read more: Snow warnings upgraded as arctic freeze set to last four days

Around 2cm of snow could fall in some areas, with up to 5cm on higher ground.

Heavy snowfalls have already caused difficulties for motorists in the Highlands and north-east of Scotland on New Year’s Day, with warnings of blizzard-like conditions coming on Friday and into the weekend.

The amber weather warnings for snow are in place until noon on Saturday, covering areas within a wider yellow weather warning.

The Met Office says the amber areas in Scotland could see power cuts and vehicles becoming stranded.

On Friday, there could be snow accumulations of up to 20cm on low ground and up to 40cm on higher ground.

Those in the affected areas have been warned the wintry conditions are likely to continue into the weekend.

Describing the amber warning, the Met Office said: “Heavy snow showers will become more frequent and may merge to give longer spells of snow at times.

“The area and period covered by this warning are when the heaviest and most disruptive snow is thought most likely during the current cold spell, with existing yellow warnings covering a wider area and a longer period.”

The forecaster continued: “Windy conditions will also result in some drifting of snow and temporary blizzard conditions.”

Chief Superintendent Scott McCarren, Police Scotland’s head of road policing, said: “Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary during the bad weather or if it can be delayed until conditions improve.

“If you need to travel, please drive to the conditions, be prepared for delays and allow extra time for your journey.

“Please don’t drive through road closures, the decision to close roads is not taken lightly and is done for public safety.”

On Friday, a yellow warning for snow and ice was issued across large parts of England and Wales between midnight and noon, including Chester and Greater Manchester down to London and Kent.

Separate yellow warnings are in place for Northern Ireland between midnight and 10am on Friday.

People have been urged to prepare for longer journey times by road, and on bus and train services.

The AA estimated the number of car journeys is likely to reach 20.7 million across the UK on January 2 after a quieter day on the roads on New Year’s Day when 18.0 million trips were predicted.

A Met Office spokeswoman said: “We expect this cold spell to persist into the weekend and on into next week, with further warnings possible as temperatures remain well below average and snow showers continue in places.”

Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong, said: "With Arctic air now covering most of the UK, very cold weather will continue through the weekend, with minus double figures overnight in places and daytime temperatures struggling to rise above zero for some.

"It looks like this cold spell could last well into next week and wintry hazards will continue with more weather warnings likely.“It is therefore important people keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings and plan ahead."

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued warnings across England for the start of the year, which are in place until 10am on January 6.

The UKHSA said it means the weather is “likely” to cause significant impacts across health and social care services, including a “rise in deaths” among those with health conditions or aged 65 or over.

Dr Paul Coleman, consultant in health protection at the UKHSA, said: “The weather is forecast to be very cold across England over the coming few days.

“Low temperatures like these can have serious impacts on the health of some people, particularly older people and those with serious health conditions.

“Exposure to cold can lead to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections.

“It is therefore really important, as the colder weather sets in, to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.”