An Arctic blast has brought snow and freezing temperatures to the UK, with warnings of significant disruption. Amber health alerts are in place for England.
Snow covered homes, roads and cars in the Scottish village of Portmahomack. Temperatures fell to nearly -8C overnight as an Arctic blast hits the UK, with warnings that snow could bring 'significant disruption' this weekend. Amber cold weather health alerts warning of a risk of a rise in deaths are in place for the whole of England, with one local NHS service urging people to avoid going out early in the morning when the frost is thick.
Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are in place for most of England, Wales and Scotland between Saturday and Monday. Health Secretary Wes Streeting told BBC Breakfast 'it is definitely a weekend to turn the heating on', after charity Age UK said the weather would bring the winter fuel payment cuts 'into sharp relief'. Benson in Oxfordshire recorded the UK's lowest temperature of -7.9C overnight, with much of the UK seeing cold and frosty conditions on Friday morning. Elsewhere, temperatures dropped to -7.5C in Shap, Cumbria, and -6.4C in Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway, earlier on Thursday night. In Wales, the lowest temperature was -4.9C in Usk, while in Northern Ireland, it was -5.7C in Katesbridge. Yellow Met Office warnings for ice are in force until 10:00 GMT on Friday in west Wales, north-west England and parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, with wintry showers at times throughout the day.BBC weather presenter Sarah Keith-Lucas said 20-40cm of snow could fall across northern England and southern Scotland from late Saturday into Monday, which could cause 'significant disruption'. She said temperatures in towns and cities across the UK were expected to fall below freezing overnight on Friday into Saturday morning, with 'significantly colder' conditions in rural areas. There could be some freezing fog patches in the Midlands and East Anglia, she added. On Saturday evening, snow is forecast in parts of southern England, Wales, the Midlands in England and Northern Irelan
WINTER WEATHER SNOW COLD ARCTIC BLAST UK
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