UK weather latest: County closes all schools as heavy snow forecast – with warnings issued across UK

Key points

Britain braces for heavy snow and ice as two amber warnings issuedAll schools in one North Wales county closeExplained: What is a cold health alert?
‘Reduce your speed’, drivers warnedTrain disruption round-upHoping for a dry weekend? You may be disappointed
Live reporting by Bhvishya Patel

06:23:13 Is it snowing where you are? Send us your pictures

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14:53:23 German Shepherds enjoy snow in South Yorkshire

Helen West-Ward, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, said her dogs Gandalf and Frodo have been enjoying the snow in her garden this morning.

Ms West-Ward told Sky News the eight-year-old German Shepherds love the snow whenever it makes an appearance.

“They were very excited to see the snow this morning. Frodo was particularly vocal about it all,” she said.

14:35:58 Snow ‘coming thick and fast’ in West Yorkshire

Our correspondents have been out in regions further up north as snow begins to blanket parts of the country.

Our North of England correspondent Shingi Mararike, who is currently in Harden, West Yorkshire, said the snow is coming “thick and fast”.

“The scenes are postcard-like and picturesque but that does come with its dangers,” he says.

“What we have here is elevated ground experiencing the worst  of the snowy weather and pockets of places now facing disruption and that is set to continue.”

Elsewhere, our national correspondent Tom Parmenter, who is in Buxton, Derbyshire, said while it is “not a great surprise to see snow in Buxton” it “has caused disruption”.

He says: “We’ve seen a lot of schools close, we’ve seen roads close and there have been quite a few nasty accidents out on the roads.

“The untreated roads are very tricky.”

14:05:23 Council defends decision to shut all schools after parents left annoyed

By Tomos Evans, Wales reporter

A council has defended its decision to shut all of its schools, saying it was in the community’s “best interests” to do so.

Earlier, we reported on parents’ frustration when they woke up to no snow, after Flintshire County Council announced all schools would be shut (see post at 11am).

A Met Office amber weather warning covering Flintshire remains in place until 3pm – and some parts of the county have now reported snowfall.

Neal Cockerton, the council’s chief executive, said the decision to issue a blanket closure was taken “based on data provided by the Met Office…as well as tactical information presented by the police at a regional emergency meeting”.

“An amber warning means that only essential travel is advised, and only if safe to do so,” Mr Cockerton added. 

“As a council, we took a proactive approach rather than waiting for a potentially risky situation to develop. 

“Our aim was to avoid children being stranded at bus stops should school transport have to be cancelled or face being sent home during the day which is more difficult to manage.

“While we understand that some parents and carers may feel frustrated by the decision, it was taken in the best interests of the communities we serve.”

13:45:02 Snowy scenes hit parts of the country

We have been receiving pictures from our readers of snowy scenes from across the country.

Here are some of the scenes today in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Derbyshire…

12:54:50 Minor road traffic collisions in North Wales

Minor road traffic collisions and road disruptions have been reported by North Wales Police, in particular in the rural areas of Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham. 

The force are urging drivers to “take extra care” as they head out this afternoon.

You can read their full statement on X below…

12:48:00 Snow beginning to settle in West Yorkshire

Snow is beginning to settle in Batley, West Yorkshire.

The area is under a yellow weather warning for snow until 6am tomorrow and there is a chance that some rural communities could become cut off.

There is also a chance of travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, the Met Office has warned.

12:42:55 Snow on the roads in Wrexham

Our chief North of England correspondent Greg Milam is in the village of Coedpoeth in Wrexham, North Wales, where snow has been falling.

Here are a few of the images from the area.

12:07:54 Sheep unfazed by snowy conditions

Over in Herdwicks of Highlands Farm, on the southern edge of the Peak District, one sheep doesn’t seem to be fazed by the snow.

Billy is his “usual cheeky self” and seems to be enjoying himself after the farm woke up to a dusting of snow.

12:02:01 11:43:28 Explained: What is a cold health alert?

Cold health alerts are issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in conjunction with the Met Office.

They generally happen between 1 November and 31 March each year and warn how cold weather can impact people’s health, the NHS, and social care.

Cold health alerts are separate to weather warnings, which are issued solely by the Met Office and warn of risks to infrastructure and the type of weather expected.

They use a colour-coded system whereby green represents the least risk and red the highest.

Green

Average temperatures are more than 2C and minimal health impacts are expected.

Yellow

Average temperatures are 2C or less for 48 hours or more.

Conditions are unlikely to affect the general population but vulnerable groups may struggle. 

Yellow alerts may also be issued if confidence in weather forecasts is low but the situation may pose risks if the worst-case scenarios are realised.

Amber

Average temperatures are below 2C for five days – or below 0C for 48 hours or more. Effects are likely to be felt across the population, the entire health service and other sectors.

Red

Average temperatures are below 0C for five days – or below -2C for 48 hours or more. There is significant risk to life expected for even the healthy population and severe impacts for the health service and most sectors.

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