UK snow: First flakes hit London as Yorkshire faces 25 cm amber alert

A person walking their dog in Tow Law, County Durham, on Wednesday after snow fell (Owen Humphreys/PA) Owen Humphreys

Snow has fallen across parts of the UK on Wednesday, with London experiencing its first snowfall of the season as Arctic air triggers the country's first notable cold snap of autumn. The Met Office has issued a rare amber warning for parts of Yorkshire and North East England, predicting up to 25cm of snow by Thursday evening.

The amber alert covers Yorkshire and Humber from 5am to 9pm on Thursday, with forecasters warning of "substantial disruption" to travel and potential power cuts. Multiple yellow warnings for snow and ice remain in force across Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and northern and southwestern England.

Snow has already been reported in London areas including Twickenham, Cricklewood and St John's Wood, as well as Yorkshire, the Scottish Highlands and parts of Durham and Northumberland. Weather stations recorded up to 7cm of lying snow in Lake Vyrnwy, Wales, with 5cm in Lerwick, Shetland.

Severe weather warnings

The Met Office has issued warnings for 29 parts of the UK. The amber warning for North East England anticipates frequent wintry showers feeding inland from the North Sea, bringing gusty winds and occasional blizzard conditions. Rural communities could become cut off, with travel delays and power cuts likely.

Yellow warnings cover much of northern Scotland until 9pm Thursday, with additional alerts for Northern Ireland, southwest Wales and southwest England. Temperatures are forecast to plummet to -11C in rural Scotland on Thursday night, with daytime temperatures in low single figures across most regions.

Snow accumulations

Met Office Chief Forecaster Neil Armstrong explained: «Cold Arctic air from the north is firmly in charge of the UK's weather, bringing the first notable cold snap of this autumn and giving an early taste of winter weather.»

He added: «Whilst not all places will see lying snow, where showers are most frequent accumulations of 2-5cm will be possible. On higher ground in Scotland 15-20cm could accumulate and potentially as much as 15-25cm over the North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds.»

Disruption and response

Dozens of schools have closed across Scotland, particularly in the Highlands, Aberdeenshire and Moray. Hexham racecourse in Northumberland abandoned all racing on Wednesday due to snow coverage.

National Highways has deployed over 530 gritters across England. Darren Clark, severe weather resilience adviser at National Highways, said: «With snow forecast and freezing conditions across parts of England this week, National Highways winter operation is in full swing with gritters already completing their first runs of the season.»

The agency urged drivers to check fuel, screenwash, lights and tyres before travelling, and to plan routes ahead. The Met Office warned that clear skies and overnight ice could create "particularly tricky travel conditions."

The UK Health Security Agency has issued amber cold health alerts for north-east England, north-west England and Yorkshire and Humber, with yellow alerts for the rest of England. National Rail warned of poor weather impact on journeys, advising passengers to check services before travel and allow extra time.

Conditions are expected to turn drier and milder by Friday, with rain reaching western areas later in the day.

Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).