Met Office Issues Snow Warnings for 159 UK Areas This Weekend

The Met Office has named 159 areas across the United Kingdom that are facing significant snow and ice hazards this weekend, with yellow weather warnings in effect. Forecasters have issued a swathe of alerts for Saturday, February 14, as conditions take a major downturn, extending into Sunday in some regions.

Weather Warnings and Forecast Details

Showers of snow and hail are expected on Friday afternoon, evening, and overnight, potentially leading to accumulations of 1 to 3 cm in many places, though some areas may miss these entirely. Along certain coasts, sleet is more likely, which could result in ice on untreated surfaces as temperatures drop below freezing overnight.

The snow warning remains active until 10 am on Sunday, February 15, specifically in Scotland. According to the Met Office, outbreaks of rain spreading eastwards on Saturday night will initially fall as snow, even at low levels, before becoming confined to higher ground as milder air arrives from the west.

Temporary snow accumulations of 1-3 cm are possible at low levels, with 3-7 cm likely above approximately 150 meters elevation, and potentially 10-15 cm above 400 meters. Areas sheltered to the north of high ground may experience very little snow. Ice will pose an additional hazard, particularly in northeast England and parts of Scotland, where precipitation could fall on frozen ground, creating very slippery conditions.

Full List of Affected Areas

The following 159 areas have been identified by the Met Office as facing snow and ice warnings:

Angus
Perth and Kinross
Aberdeen
Aberdeenshire
Moray
Na h-Eileanan Siar
Highland
Darlington
Durham
Gateshead
Hartlepool
Middlesbrough
Newcastle upon Tyne
North Tyneside
Northumberland
Redcar and Cleveland
South Tyneside
Stockton-on-Tees
Sunderland
Orkney Islands
Shetland Islands
East Riding of Yorkshire
Kingston upon Hull
North Lincolnshire
North Yorkshire
County Antrim
County Down
County Londonderry
County Tyrone
Derby
Derbyshire
Leicester
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Northamptonshire
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
Rutland
Bedford
Cambridgeshire
Central Bedfordshire
Essex
Hertfordshire
Luton
Norfolk
Peterborough
Suffolk
Bracknell Forest
Buckinghamshire
Greater London
Hampshire
Milton Keynes
Oxfordshire
Reading
Slough
Southampton
Surrey
West Berkshire
Windsor and Maidenhead
Wokingham
Cheshire East
Cheshire West and Chester
Greater Manchester
Halton
Merseyside
Warrington
Bath and North East Somerset
Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole
Bristol
Cornwall
Devon
Dorset
Gloucestershire
North Somerset
Plymouth
Somerset
South Gloucestershire
Swindon
Torbay
Wiltshire
Blaenau Gwent
Bridgend
Caerphilly
Cardiff
Carmarthenshire
Ceredigion
Conwy
Denbighshire
Flintshire
Gwynedd
Isle of Anglesey
Merthyr Tydfil
Monmouthshire
Neath Port Talbot
Newport
Pembrokeshire
Powys
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Swansea
Torfaen
Vale of Glamorgan
Wrexham
Herefordshire
Shropshire
Staffordshire
Stoke-on-Trent
Telford and Wrekin
Warwickshire
West Midlands Conurbation
Worcestershire

Residents in these areas are advised to stay updated with the latest forecasts and take necessary precautions for travel and safety during this period of adverse weather.