Weather warnings latest as Arctic blast sends snow south and …
The UK is now in the middle of a cold blast of Arctic air which has moved in from the north across the whole of the country.
A northerly airflow is bringing very cold conditions for all, plus snow showers for some areas at times.
Shropshire Council crews were out on Monday afternoon and again this morning gritting on the county's 'defined network' of roads: that includes A- and B-roads, localised 'high-risk' sites and important access routes, major town centre shopping areas, heavily used footways and cycle routes.
A view from Valley View Holiday Park near Welshpool
The Met Office has issued a series of yellow weather warnings, the first for the entirety of Wednesday covering a northern swathe of Shropshire including Oswestry and Whitchurch, as well as Staffordshire and parts of Mid Wales.
The yellow warning for snow and ice described snow showers with a chance of delays to transport on road and rail, as well as a risk of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.
Then for the entirety of Thursday a second yellow warning for snow and ice covers northeastern parts of the county: Newport, Whitchurch and Market Drayton are included but Oswestry is not.
Frost in central Telford
Thursday's warning also covers most of Staffordshire and parts of Wales including the west coast, and says: "Some travel disruption is likely."
Met Office chief meteorologist Andy Page said: “Where and how much snow we will get will vary throughout the week and weather warnings could change quickly, you will need to keep an eye on the forecast for your region for the latest information.
“There will be widespread frost this week and we could see some fairly deep laying snow in parts of northern UK and strong winds could result in drifting or blizzard conditions at times. The snow and ice will be disruptive and could potentially impact travel plans, make driving dangerous and pavements slippery.
“It will feel bitterly cold with daytime temperatures in the low single figures for many, and overnight temperatures will fall to -3C or -4C in many towns and cities, and it will be even colder in many rural areas.”
A view from Valley View Holiday Park near Welshpool
In Shropshire, Wednesday is likely to be the coldest day of the week, with temperatures set to reach lows of -5C.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: “The temperatures we will see can rapidly have a serious impact on the health of those over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions as it increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections.
"It is therefore vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours to ensure they are well prepared for the cold weather this week.”