The United Kingdom is bracing for a prolonged period of severe wintry weather, with widespread snow and ice disrupting travel and posing significant health risks. An Arctic freeze has gripped the country, bringing plummeting temperatures and widespread weather warnings that are expected to persist into the weekend and next week.

The Met Office has issued a series of warnings across the UK. Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice were activated on Friday morning across large parts of England and Wales, including London, Greater Manchester, Cardiff, the Midlands, and the North West. These warnings were in place through Friday morning until midday in many areas, with a separate yellow warning for ice in the South West of England running until 10 am. Similar yellow warnings were active for Northern Ireland between midnight and 10 am on Friday, and for much of Scotland until 11:59 pm on Friday.

More severe amber snow warnings commenced at midday on Friday for northern Scotland, covering regions such as Angus, Perth and Kinross, Aberdeenshire, Moray, and the Highlands. These amber warnings are set to remain in effect until midday on Saturday. Within these amber areas, heavy snow showers are expected to become more frequent and may merge into longer spells, leading to significant accumulations of up to 20 cm on low ground and potentially 40 cm on higher ground. Windy conditions will exacerbate the situation, causing snowdrifts and temporary blizzard conditions, with the Met Office highlighting this period as the most likely for disruptive snow during the current cold spell. These conditions also carry a risk of power cuts and vehicles becoming stranded.

Snowfall in yellow warning areas is generally expected to reach about 2 cm, with up to 5 cm possible on higher ground, particularly in North Wales, North West England, and the North West Midlands. Heavy snowfall on New Year's Day already caused difficulties for motorists in the Highlands, preceding the current wave of severe weather. Daytime temperatures across the UK are forecasted to struggle to breach 0°C (32°F) and could drop into minus double digits in the coming days. In Greater Manchester, while some sunshine is expected, temperatures will remain cold, with "feels like" temperatures plunging to as low as -7°C overnight in areas like Oldham. The lowest recorded temperature the previous day was -6.2°C at Hurn in Dorset, following -9.6°C at Braemar in Aberdeenshire on New Year's Eve.

Travel across the UK is significantly affected. National Rail has advised passengers to check before traveling, and people are urged to prepare for longer journey times by road, rail, and bus. Police Scotland's head of road policing, Chief Superintendent Scott McCarren, advised against unnecessary journeys, urging those who must travel to drive to conditions and allow extra time. Scotland's Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop echoed this advice, recommending checking the Traffic Scotland website and social media for updates. Aberdeen Airport also advised passengers to verify their flight status with airlines. The AA estimated that 20.7 million car journeys were likely across the UK on January 2, following a quieter New Year's Day with 18 million predicted trips.

Beyond travel, the cold spell poses serious health concerns. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended an amber cold health alert for all of England until next Friday. This alert signifies that the weather is likely to cause significant impacts across health and social care services, including a potential rise in deaths among vulnerable populations, such as older people and those with serious health conditions. Dr. Paul Coleman, a consultant in health protection at the UKHSA, stressed the importance of checking on vulnerable friends, family, and neighbours, as exposure to cold can increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and chest infections.

The current cold spell is expected to persist into the weekend and on into the following week, with further warnings possible as temperatures remain well below average and snow showers continue in various locations across the country.