In the heart of England and Wales, over 200 flood warnings wave their red flags, suggesting, “Flooding might just crash the party.” According to the Environment Agency, swollen rivers, swamped with recent precipitation, are inching dangerously close to the breaking point.
Following a weekend where snow and a biting mix of sleet and rain swept across the UK, the transportation network took a hit, with cancellations and delays causing widespread frustration. An amber alert—akin to Mother Nature’s alarm bells—has been extended into Monday morning, though it’s now zoned into a little patch of Cumbria, Lancashire, and the Lake District. Meanwhile, less severe yellow alerts stretch across the map like a giant’s handshake, gripping parts of Scotland, Wales, and many areas in England.
Meanwhile, airports became battlegrounds with Mother Nature, forcing some to shut their runways. Manchester and Liverpool airports reopened only Sunday morning, a begrudging nod to the calming skies. But it wasn’t over; flight delays thrashed about like restless spirits.
BBC Weather Watchers’ snap of a car swimming through a waterlogged road paints a vivid picture of the chaos. Here’s the lowdown from the Met Office: Northern England’s amber snow alert now lifts by 06:00 GMT Monday, while yellow snow and ice warnings cloak most of Scotland, Wales, northern England, and the Midlands until midday.
Rain isn’t playing nice either—yellow alerts hang over south Wales and southern England until Monday’s dawn. Ice warnings? Northern Ireland gets its share until 11:00 GMT. Amber—the ominous color of gravity—shouts from weather charts, warning that life could be at risk and that travel turbulence could escalate.
The forecast isn’t delivering any warmth either. Expect temperatures to tumble below the norm, with an icy landscape of “widespread frost” threatening to freeze the nation in its tracks, so says the Met Office. Some rural outposts might find themselves snowed in, with power cuts forecast in northern England. Up to 15cm of snow? It’s in the cards.
Saturday night brought chills, with Loch Glascarnoch in Scotland shivering at -11C. Snow smothered much of England and northern Wales, as Bingley in West Yorkshire donned a 16cm white cap by 09:00 Sunday morning. In Cumbria, heavy snow refused to relent, leaving 10cm of the stuff blanketing Shap in England’s far north, while southern Scotland felt the snowfall’s chill embrace as well.
Major cities weren’t spared either; 5cm of snow adorned Leeds and York, according to BBC Weather. Gritting trucks, akin to modern snow warriors, roamed the nation. Harrogate in Yorkshire witnessed this flurry of action.
Sunday wasn’t kind to Manchester Airport, which hosted delays like unwelcome guests and nudged passengers to keep an ear out with their airlines concerning flights. Liverpool, Bristol, Birmingham, Newcastle, and Leeds airports played follow-the-leader, shutting down temporarily only to reopen once the snow ceased its clutches. The question of “Why is flight chaos such a British winter staple?” looms large.
Stuart Irons, a voice from National Highways, shared on BBC Breakfast of 500 grit lorries ready to confront the icy roads, stockpiling over 240,000 tonnes of salt to take on the wintry squall. Merseyside, precautious and diligent, debated Sunday morning if the clash between Liverpool and Manchester United could proceed, but with a thumbs-up, the football was on.
As Sunday’s cloak turned to Monday’s dawn, snow promised to tiptoe into north England, reaching as far as the Peak District in north Wales, and teasing southern and eastern Scotland. Heavier blankets of snow are forecast in Wales’ highlands, the Midlands, and northern England. Could these regions soon boast 40cm drapes of snow, particularly over north Wales’ mountains, the Peak District, and the Pennines? Wait and see.
Scotland’s story of ice and snow is set to continue, with local warnings in full effect. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has been proactive, maintaining amber cold weather health alerts across England, forewarning of health risks amid this frosty climate.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
