North West braces for snow and ice with Amber warnings in place overnight

Amber and Yellow warnings are in place for snow, ice and rain into Sunday. Credit: Met Office

The North West will be hit by heavy snow and freezing rain which could lead to disruption this weekend amid two amber weather warnings.

  • Amber warning in place for Snow from 9pm on Saturday - covering Cumbria, Lancashire Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

  • Amber warning for Snow and Ice in Cheshire from 6pm on Saturday

  • A Yellow warning for heavy rain from 6am on Sunday, covering Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside

Stranded vehicles on the roads, delayed or cancelled rail and air travel and power cuts are all likely as the country grapples with a week-long spell of wintry conditions, the Met Office said.

There is also a “good chance” that rural communities could be cut off thanks to the weather, with up to 30cm of snowfall expected in some areas.

The amber warning for snow and rare freezing rain is in place for Liverpool and Manchester from 6pm on Saturday to midday on Sunday, the Met Office said.

Much of the region could see a covering of snow by Sunday morning Credit: ITV News

The second warning for snow, covering most of northern England including Lancashire, Cumbria and the Lake District, has been issued from 9pm on Saturday to midnight on Sunday.

Both of the warning areas can expect to see 3cm to 7cm of snowfall widely, while snow may mix with rain at times in lower-lying areas, the forecaster said.

Additional yellow weather warnings for snow and ice will be in force for most areas of the UK, covering different periods of time over the weekend.

There is also a yellow warning for rain covering much of the West of England on Sunday from 6am to 9pm.

Woodhead Pass is regularly hit with snow

Drivers in high-altitude areas like the Peak District have been warned to take particular care.

Road users in England’s north were warned up to 25cm of snow could hit parts of the network including the A66 Old Spittal, A628 Woodhead Pass and M62 at Windy Hill.

Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said some “significant accumulations” of snow are possible in parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England, and the additional factor of strengthening winds could lead to drifting of lying snow.

He continued: “There is a risk of freezing rain across parts of the Midlands and northern England, but especially Wales, adding to the risk of ice and leading to some treacherous conditions in places.

“As the super-cooled rain droplets hit the surface they instantly freeze, covering everything in a layer of ice, making it extremely dangerous.”

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) cold weather health alerts for all of England remain in place ahead of a week of low temperatures.

Amber alerts were issued on Thursday and will run until January 8, meaning a rise in deaths is likely, the agency said.

Milder air will briefly cover some southern areas during the weekend before a new northerly flow allows colder conditions to return across the UK next week, the Met Office said.

Deputy chief forecaster Dan Holley said temperatures would remain below average with some areas struggling to get above freezing for several days.

Further weather warnings could be issued for the start of next week.

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