Weather warning: Rain, sleet and snow threatens to disrupt travel

A band of rain, sleet and snow is threatening to disrupt travel in parts of Northern Ireland tonight and into tomorrow morning.

Police have said they are dealing with a number of collisions on roads today as much of the north was hit with heavy rain, sleet or snow.

A Status Yellow snow and ice warning had also been issued for Co Donegal, valid from 3pm to 8pm today. Met Eireann is forecasting that sleet and snow could lead to accumulations in some areas, with the most significant amounts on higher ground. This could lead to hazardous travelling conditions, poor visibility and ice on untreated surfaces.

Overnight, the coldest temperatures will be in the northern half of the island, with the lowest between zero and five degrees, and five to seven degrees in the south.

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Parts of Fermanagh saw heavy snow this morning, with reports indicating that the Marble Arch Road is impassable.

The PSNI also warned that “many roads” in the Newry, Mourne & Down area are impassable and they are dealing with a number of crashes.

Police have also advised motorists to avoid the Shanes Hill Road in Kilwaughter near Larne due to snow and also a collision in the area.

Road users are advised to travel if their journey is necessary.

The north is experiencing for Arctic conditions today as a weather warning issued by the Met Office came into effect from 9am and remains in place until 6am tomorrow.

The updated warning has increased the amount of snow expected on higher ground, with up to 15cm expected on land above 150 metres, including the Glenshane Pass and the Antrim Hills.

While icy patches are likely, some lower ground areas should see little to no snowfall.

The Met Office has advised motorists to plan their routes, check for delays and road closures and adjust travel plans as needed.

Although it will feel “chillier in brisk winds,” highs of four degrees Celsius are expected.

In the Republic, a snow and ice warning is in effect for the counties of Clare, Tipperary, Galway, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath, and Wicklow from 3:00am to 13:00pm on Thursday.

The same warning applies to the counties of Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, and Longford from 5:00am to 20:00pm.

From 5:00am on Thursday to 5:00am on Friday, Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Louth, Meath, Wexford, and Wicklow are under a yellow rain warning.

Up to 25cm of snow is forecast in parts of England and Wales on Thursday, as the Met Office issued weather alerts and warned of disruption to travel.

Amber weather warnings for snow have been issued for parts of northern England and north Wales, while a mixture of yellow rain and snow warnings will be in force across the four nations.

The amber warning across the Peak District and south Pennines is in place from noon until 6pm on Thursday, with up to 25cm of snow forecast across high ground above 300 metres.

The Met Office said strong and gusty easterly winds may lead to “some drifting in places”, and that 10-15cm of snow is expected quite widely across the warning area.

A separate amber warning for snow and ice will be in place between 8am and 3pm on Thursday across north Wales and north-west Shropshire, with 20-25cm of snow forecast in areas above 200 metres.

The Met Office said that as milder air begins to arrive from the south, there is a chance that snow could turn to “freezing rain across some higher routes above 200 metres”.

An amber weather warning means travel delays on roads are likely; public transport vehicles and cars could be stranded; power cuts are possible; and some rural communities could be cut off temporarily.

In the area covered by the snow and ice warning, the Met Office said untreated pavements and cycle paths could be impassable.

Met Office meteorologist Amy Bokota said an easterly wind meant that places “inland and higher up” were likely to see the most snow.

She said it was “unlikely” that significant levels of snow would be on the ground for days, but added it could lead to difficult driving conditions on Thursday.

Ms Bokota said: “The snow could cause some pretty poor driving conditions for parts of the Pennines and Wales, particularly through the afternoon and early evening.”

The forecaster added that most places would see a return to milder conditions by the end of Thursday.

She said: “It will be quite a short-lived cold snap for much of the UK, but continuing on a little bit longer through parts of northern England and Scotland into the early hours of Friday and the start of the weekend.”

A yellow rain warning covering much of southern England and south-east Wales – including London and Cardiff – has been issued from 2am on Thursday to 6am on Friday, with 15-25mm likely and up to 45mm on higher routes.

Further yellow snow and ice warnings cover southern and central Scotland from 6pm on Thursday to 3pm on Friday.

The Met Office said up to 10cm of snow could fall up to in parts of Scotland, with 1-3cm more widely in both regions.

Another yellow warning for snow and ice is in place in northern Scotland from 4pm on Wednesday to 10am on Thursday.

Chris Wood, from the AA, said: “If you need to travel, reduce your speed to account for the conditions and leave plenty of space behind other vehicles, and try to use main roads where possible as these are more likely to have been gritted.

“Allow extra time as it’s likely your journey will take longer than usual, and ensure you have plenty of fuel or electrical charge if driving an electric vehicle.

“The cold snap is likely to affect vehicle breakdown levels, with faults such as flat batteries and wiper faults.”