Met Office snow and ice warnings as Arctic air hits UK

You step outside and the air bites back. A pulse of Arctic air is now sitting over the UK, dropping temperatures and loading the clouds with snow and ice for some of us. The Met Office has issued several warnings, and the UK Health Security Agency has activated cold-health alerts. Here’s what those alerts mean, where the snow is most likely, and how to read the ‘feels like’ numbers you see on your weather app.

November started off unusually mild – BBC Weather reports temperatures were running about 3-6C above the seasonal average – but a northerly wind has flipped the script. Cold air is streaming south, pushing readings around 3-6C below mid-November norms and making travel and outdoor work trickier than usual.

As rain spreads south and east Monday night into Tuesday, the air is cold enough for some of this to turn to snow. A Met Office yellow warning for snow covers northern and eastern Scotland from 03:00 to 18:00 Tuesday (GMT). Where showers align, 5-10cm may build up over higher ground above roughly 400m, with 2-5cm even at lower levels. Some high routes could become difficult and rail services may face delays as crews treat tracks. Through Tuesday, hill snow is also possible in the North Pennines and the North York Moors.

Ice is an early hazard too. Yellow warnings for ice are in place across northern and eastern Scotland from 19:00 Monday until 10:00 Tuesday (GMT), with another ice warning stretching from central Scotland into northern England from 05:00 to 12:00 Tuesday (GMT). If you commute or care for children in the morning, factor in slower walking speeds and extra time for gritting.

The wintry theme doesn’t stop there. Further frequent, sometimes heavy, snow showers push into northern Scotland overnight Tuesday and persist through Thursday. A separate Met Office warning for snow and ice runs for northern Scotland from 18:00 Tuesday until 21:00 Thursday (GMT). Totals could reach 2-5cm at low levels and 15-20cm above about 300m, especially where showers stream in on the wind. Gusty squalls and occasional lightning add to the risk profile.

Showers also reach beyond Scotland for a time. The cold northerly on Wednesday fires snow showers into Northern Ireland, parts of eastern England, west Wales and even the moors of south-west England. Some cells may carry lightning – often called thundersnow – which brings brief heavy snow and sudden gusts. A yellow warning for snow and ice is in force for coastal eastern England from 06:00 Wednesday until 18:00 Thursday (GMT), with 2-5cm possible at low levels and up to 20cm over hills above 300m where showers are frequent.

Let’s talk wind-chill, because that ‘feels like’ number matters. Air temperatures midweek will sit near 2-5C, but the wind strips heat from exposed skin, so it will feel more like -2 to 4C. That difference affects how quickly you lose body heat: wind increases evaporation and draws warmth away, which is why a proper hat, gloves and layers make such a difference. Expect widespread night frosts and patches of ice where showers have fallen.

Health services are on alert. The UKHSA has issued yellow cold-health alerts for the Midlands and northern England until 08:00 GMT Friday, and more severe amber alerts for the North West, North East, and Yorkshire and the Humber for the same period. These alerts help the NHS and social care prepare for ‘significant’ impacts among people at higher risk. Cold snaps are linked to excess deaths, particularly among over-65s and those with long-term conditions, though some younger groups can be affected as well.

What this means for you is straightforward. If you live in an affected area, plan journeys around possible grit runs and slower roads, watch for black ice on untreated pavements, and check rail updates before setting off. Keep a charged phone, warm layers and any essential medication with you. If you can, check in on neighbours who might find the cold harder to manage.

Midweek is the tough patch, and Thursday night looks the sharpest. Temperatures will widely dip below freezing with rural Scotland forecast to plunge to around -12C. Friday should begin as the coldest morning of the autumn so far, with plenty of sunshine. Later, an Atlantic system edges in from the west, bringing more cloud, a little rain and a return to less-cold air.

By Saturday, values should lift back towards average for November. It will not feel as mild as last week’s early spell, but for many of us it will be easier than the midweek chill. Keep an eye on updated guidance from the Met Office and your local council, because small shifts in wind direction can change where snow showers line up.

If you’re using this in the classroom or at home, treat it as a live case study in reading risk. Compare air temperature and the ‘feels like’ figure, sketch where hills rise above 300-400m, and discuss why coastal areas facing the wind get more frequent showers. The more we understand the alerts, the better we look after each other when the cold bites.