UK braced for snow and freezing rain as temperatures drop as low as -8.6C – live | UK weather

It is approaching 4pm. Here are the key updates from today’s UK weather live blog:

• A cold weather health alert has been issued for all regions in England with large parts of the UK set to be hit by snow and freezing rain. The cold weather health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), lasts until midday on Wednesday. It means it is expected temperatures inside places such as hospitals, care homes and clinics could drop below the recommended levels.

• Two amber weather warnings have been put in place in England and Wales: One for snow and rare freezing rain covering most of Wales and central England, including the Midlands and the north-west cities of Liverpool and Manchester, is in place from 6pm on Saturday to midday on Sunday, the Met Office said. The second, an amber warning for snow, covering most of northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District, has been issued from 9pm on Saturday to midnight on Sunday.

• Temperatures plummeted to -8.6C in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire overnight, a Met Office spokesperson confirmed on Saturday. Chilly conditions were expected to continue for most of Satuday with most places ranging from 2-5C, with highs of 7C in south-west England.

• The Met Office has warned that the freezing weather could cause delays to rail and air travel, power cuts and the cutting off of rural communities, with up to 30cm of snow forecast in some areas.

• The Irish government’s emergency planning team is holding a meeting as Ireland braces for a “multi-hazard weather event”, which is due to hit the country later on Saturday. Snow, ice, heavy rain and sleet are to sweep over Ireland as a series of orange and yellow weather warnings come into effect. Met Éireann has warned that the cold snap will create difficult travelling conditions and poor visibility. Forecasters have said that depending on snow accumulations on Monday, schools could remain closed as the sub-zero temperatures stretch into next week. They have warned that it will probably lead to disruption to public transport, air, rail and bus services, difficult conditions underfoot and animal welfare issues. Taoiseach Simon Harris has urged the public to “proceed with caution” as the country faces severe weather challenges.

• A status yellow ice and snow warning is in place across Northern Ireland from 9pm on Saturday until 6pm on Saturday.

• A yellow warning for ice is in place for the north of Scotland from 4pm on Saturday to 10am on Sunday while a yellow warning for snow in the Shetland Islands has been issued for Saturday from 10am to 6pm.

• There is also a yellow warning for rain covering much of Wales and the West Midlands on Sunday from 6am to 9pm.

• The health secretary, Wes Streeting, told the BBC that “it is definitely a weekend to turn the heating on” as he defended the government’s cut to winter fuel payments, which he said had been protected for the “poorest pensioners”. The director of Age UK, Caroline Abrahams, said the government’s decision to limit the winter fuel allowance would be put “into sharp relief” by the cold snap and the charity had already been contacted by older people “worrying about what to do when this moment arrived”.

• Councils have activated emergency measures, including additional accommodation to help rough sleepers stay safe during the cold snap. London mayor, Sadiq Khan, called on Londoners to look out for and help rough sleepers in the capital.

• An amber weather warning for snow has been put in place for the Isle of Man from 11pm on Saturday until 3am on Monday. The Ronaldsway Met Office warns that rain, sleet and snow will arrive on Saturday night and overnight into Sunday. Overhead power line icing may be an additional hazard, it warns.

• National Highways warned a “spell of disruptive snow” would spread across southern and central parts of the road network on Saturday night. Drivers in high-altitude areas, especially the Cotswolds and Peak District, were warned to take particular care. Gwent police issued a warning for black ice on Friday.

• Road users in northern England’s were warned up to 25cm of snow could hit parts of the network including the A66 Old Spittal, A628 Woodhead Pass and M62 at Windy Hill.

• Some football games have already been called off this weekend. They include Cheltenham’s clash with League Two leaders Walsall which was due to take place on Saturday, Halifax’s National League home game against Fylde which was also scheduled for Saturday, and Friday night’s Scottish Championship game between Airdrie and leaders Falkirk. It remains to be seen if Manchester United and Liverpool’s clash in the English Premier League, one of the most watched sporting events in the world, will be cancelled on Sunday.

• Horse racing at Sandown Park in Surrey was abandoned on Saturday, with the racecourse saying the weather meant there “would not be sufficient time for the ground to become raceable”. A race at Newcastle Racecourse was also cancelled due to the course being frozen.

Rough sleepers offered emergency shelter as UK temperatures plummet

Daniel Lavelle

Rough sleepers across the UK have been offered emergency shelter amid freezing temperatures.

Councils have used the severe weather emergency protocol (Swep) to provide a bed for the night for rough sleepers as much of the country experiences a cold snap.

Each council has its own criteria for deploying Swep, but it is generally adopted when temperatures fall below 0C or an ice and snow weather warning is issued. Sweps have also been used during heatwaves to prevent heatstroke and dehydration.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said:

We know, as the temperature drops, things become even more difficult for those on the streets, and councils will be considering whether to activate their severe weather emergency protocol.”

The spokesperson added that the ministry had supported councils by providing an extra £10m in November – approximately £32,000 each.

“We are also providing £1bn funding for homelessness over the next year, including the largest ever investment in preventive services, to support councils to get more rough sleepers off the street and stop people sleeping rough in the first place,” the spokesperson said.

An amber weather warning for snow has been put in place for the Isle of Man from 11pm on Saturday until 3am on Monday.

The Ronaldsway Met Office warns that rain, sleet and snow will arrive on Saturday night and overnight into Sunday:

Snow accumulation of 5-10cm widely expected above around 400ft by dawn on Sunday with 10-20cm above around 800ft. This accompanied by strong east or north-east winds that will lead to drifting of lying snow as well as a risk of blizzards.”

Overhead power line icing may be an additional hazard, it warns.

Loganair are offering Isle of Man customers the opportunity to adjust travel plans without charge “given the potential for travel disruption”, according to the Isle of Man airport website.

The BBC is reporting that the Mountain Road and Sloc Road are expected to be closed from 10pm and that routes above 500ft would be pre-salted on Saturday evening.