Exact date snow to hit as Arctic blast sweeps London and Southern England – as traffic and travel disruption expected

7 January 2025, 13:04 | Updated: 7 January 2025, 13:52

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow and ice covering parts of the South East, South West and London on Wednesday.

The national weather service has warned between 9am and midnight up to 10cm of snow could blanket the capital (likely on high ground) with 2-5cm building up fairly widely.

There could also be disruption to road, rail and air travel with delays and cancellations likely as well as a small chance of stranded vehicles and passengers.

They also cautioned that there is a small chance of power cuts and disruption to mobile phone coverage.

Rural communities, particularly in upland areas, could become cut off in more remote areas the warning covers.

Sleet, snow and rain forecast for northern Scotland and Northern Ireland mean yellow warnings for snow and ice are in place from Tuesday afternoon until Wednesday at midday.

The Met Office said:

• There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected
• There is a slight chance that some rural communities could become cut off, most likely in upland areas
• There is a small chance of travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel

There are still some delays at Manchester and Liverpool airports because of fresh snow this morning

All runways are open now but passengers are being told to check with their airline for updates

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The areas affected by the warning include London, Brighton, Southampton, Kent, West Sussex, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Surrey, Bath, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.

Rain or sleet is more likely near coasts.

They also warned: “Snowy, wintry weather can cause delays and make driving conditions dangerous, so to keep yourself and others safe:

• plan your route
• checking for delays and road closures and amending your travel plans if necessary
• if driving, leave more time to prepare and check your car before setting off
• make sure you have essentials packed in your car in the event of any delays (warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch, ice scraper/de-icer, a warning triangle, high visibility vest and an in-car phone charger)

In North Yorkshire, police said the body of a man had been recovered on Monday from an area of flooding in Beal, near Eggborough and Knottingley.

Scores of flood warnings remain in place across England as fresh snow flurries hit London and Manchester on Tuesday morning.

A critical incident was declared by East Midlands Ambulance for the first time ever on Monday, with flooding partly responsible for the “level of escalation”.

People living at caravan parks near Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, have been urged to act now, with a large-scale evacuation required to save lives after heavy rainfall and rapid snowmelt amid the Environment Agency’s severe flood warning for the River Soar.

One man was rescued from a caravan in Proctors Park, Barrow upon Soar, on a raft on Tuesday morning.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident and said as of 6am on Tuesday, 59 people had been rescued – including the two in Leicester Road, who were attempting to walk through flood waters and lost their footing.