UK weather: New map shows 251 miles of show and rain covering entire length of England

A new satellite map from the Met Office shows the possibility of a 251-mile snowstorm covering the whole length of England, sparking travel chaos and widespread disruption around the country.

Weather maps show that snow could cover a large span of the UK today, starting in Newcastle and ending in Worcester. Forecasters warned that some parts of the country could experience 2cm of snow falling every hour, while others are set to be hit by rain.

It comes as the Met Office issued a yellow warning for snow and ice covering eastern Scotland this evening and through Monday morning. It is in force from 5pm on Sunday until midday tomorrow.

This map shows where ice has been in the East of England today

The national weather service said wintry showers, with snow on hills, falling onto frozen surfaces may lead to some disruption to transport and infrastructure. The warning says: “A cm or two of snow is possible at low levels inland with 5-10cm over the hills, but showers at low levels expected to turn increasingly to rain overnight.”

Residents have been warned to be careful when driving and plan their route in advance, including checking road closures and delays to public transport. Yesterday morning, Glasgow Airport temporarily halted operations due to heavy snowfall overnight.

The airport posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, before 7.30am on Saturday: “Flight operations are currently suspended due to heavier than forecast snow. Our winter teams have been working through the night and we hope to resume operations as soon as possible. Please check with your airline for further flight updates.” But just before 10am, some passengers said they were at the airport and flight operations had resumed.

The Met Office also issued a yellow warning for ice covering central and northern England, as well as parts of Wales. It is in force from 5pm on Sunday until 12pm on Monday. According to the warning, some snow could fall across the hills and mountains of North Wales and The Peak District.

Abandoned cars near Windermere in the Lake District

Forecasters said: “Modest thaw of recent snowfall will lead to wet roads and pavements. With temperatures falling this evening refreezing of thawed snow will lead to some icy patches on untreated surfaces.

“As well as this, later in the night rain will push north across much of the the area, initially falling on to frozen surfaces. Some snow is also likely, mainly across the hills and mountains of north Wales and The Peak District. Snow may fall to lower levels for a time tomorrow morning, especially across parts of Wales adding to the risk of ice.”

A separate yellow warning for rain has also been issued from midnight until 6pm on Monday across parts of southern England, South Wales and the southwest Midlands, with 20-30 mm of rain falling widely with a few places seeing as much as 60 mm. People have been warned of the risk of flooding of a few homes and flooding, as well as spray and flooding on roads.

Due to heavy rain, bus and train services could also be affected, with bus and train services affected and journey times taking longer than usual. This morning, more than 2,500 people in Cumbria were without electricity as the county’s fire and rescue service said it worked through the night to rescue drivers from cars trapped in deep snow.

Snow-covered Mansfield in Nottinghamshire

Power cuts followed Saturday’s heavy snow in Cumbria, with the Met Office saying that last night saw the coldest temperatures since last winter, with -12.5C recorded in Altnaharra in the Highland region of northern Scotland. Meteorologist Tom Morgan said unofficial reports indicated there was “comfortably in excess of 20cm, probably in excess of 30cm, of snow across the Windermere and Coniston area of the South Lakes and also down towards Ambleside and the far south of Cumbria”.

He said: “It was quite an unusual situation that led to it because it became slow moving and gave the same areas of south Cumbria hour after hour of heavy snow and that’s what led to the significant disruption there.” The Met Office meteorologist said the weather on Sunday had “turned a bit milder in the south”, but added it was “still cold further north across the UK and there’s going to be some further wintry showers and ice as we go through tonight”.

“It is turning milder later this week so there is an end in sight to the wintry weather,” he added. Electricity North West’s list of live power cuts showed that 2,508 customers were affected across Cumbria at 10am, including 256 in Lowick, South Lakeland.

In most cases, the electricity operator estimated that power would be restored at 10pm on Sunday. In a post on social media, Electricity North West said: “Access is difficult and our teams are using 4x4s to try to reach sections of the damaged network.”

Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service (CFRS) said a multi-agency response was ongoing after Cumbria Police declared a major incident in the county on Saturday in response to heavy snowfall on roads. In a post on social media on Sunday morning, it said: “CFRS have been working through the night rescuing people from their cars trapped in deep snow.

“Please do not travel unless necessary as many roads are still affected with snow and ice.” Cumbria Police also urged people not to travel to the county on Sunday unless necessary, adding that some highway teams had been “verbally abused” as they attempted to deal with the situation.

Superintendent Andy Wilkinson said on Saturday night that the snow had “ended up being much more significant than forecast”. Mr Wilkinson added: “We are aware of a number of incidents in which highway teams and those assisting in the efforts to support those affected by the snow have been verbally abused.

“We understand people’s frustration during this time; however, agencies are working hard to improve the situation in Cumbria and are also facing the challenging road conditions when responding.” A number of local community venues were opened to provide support to those affected by the heavy snowfall, including Ambleside Parish Centre, Braithwaite Hall and Esthwaite Primary School.

UK 5 day weather forecast

Today:

Much of England and Wales will be rather cloudy on Sunday with outbreaks of patchy rain and hill snow. Elsewhere fog gradually lifting for most to sunny spells and a few wintry showers. Cold, though less cold in the south.

Tonight:

Rain across England and Wales becoming more persistent overnight, turning wintry over the hills accompanied by stronger winds. Clearer spells in the north with some wintry showers and remaining cold.

Monday:

Cloudy with rain, heavy at times for England and Wales with snow over the hills. Drier and brighter in Northern Ireland and western Scotland, with wintry showers further east.

Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday:

Rain clearing from the east on Tuesday, with some sunny spells and wintry showers elsewhere. Largely dry on Wednesday after fog patches clear. Turning wet and windy on Thursday.