Met Office Issues Yellow Warning for Significant Snowfall Across UK Regions
The Met Office has officially named multiple UK areas that are set to face substantial snowfall this week, with accumulations potentially reaching up to 20 centimetres in some locations. A yellow weather warning has been issued, highlighting the risk of disruption from Tuesday, February 3, through to Wednesday, February 4.
Warning Details and Expected Impact
The alert, active from midnight on Tuesday until 3pm on Wednesday, covers periods of sleet and snow that are forecast to bring challenging conditions. The Met Office has specifically warned that roads and railways are likely to be affected, leading to longer journey times for road, bus, and train services. This could cause significant travel disruption for commuters and residents in the impacted regions.
Forecasters indicate that rain moving into eastern and northern Scotland will increasingly turn to sleet and then snow throughout Tuesday and into Wednesday. Accumulations of 1-3 cm are expected above 100 metres, with some places potentially seeing up to 5 cm. For areas above 200 metres, more substantial accumulations of 10 cm are anticipated, with locally up to 20 cm possible in certain spots.
Regions Under the Weather Alert
The yellow warning is in place for a wide range of areas, primarily across Scotland. The affected regions include:
- Angus
- Clackmannanshire
- Dundee
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
- Highland
- Orkney Islands
- Argyll and Bute
At lower levels, precipitation is expected to be a mix of rain, sleet, and snow, which could still lead to minor accumulations in places. The Met Office has also cautioned that strong winds at times may result in blizzard conditions and drifting of lying snow, particularly in the northern parts of the warning area.
Broader Weather Outlook and Expert Commentary
Looking beyond the immediate warning, weather experts have provided additional insights into the seasonal patterns. Exacta Weather's James Madden suggested that a potential snow event extravaganza could occur around mid-February or just after, as an Atlantic feature clashes with colder conditions. He noted that this could be followed by milder weather later in February before turning colder again in March.
Meanwhile, Netweather TV provided a comparative analysis, forecasting temperatures to be around 1°C below normal in most parts of Scotland relative to the 1991-2020 average. In contrast, south-east England might see temperatures up to 1°C above normal. Precipitation is expected to be above normal in southern and eastern England, south Wales, and eastern Scotland, but drier than normal in western Scotland. Sunshine levels are projected to be above normal in western Scotland but below normal over most of England and Wales.
Residents in the affected areas are advised to stay updated with the latest forecasts and prepare for potential travel delays and hazardous conditions during this period of wintry weather.
