Yorkshire weather: Weather warning upgraded to amber due to risk of heavy snow and ice

A weather warning is in place for the whole of Yorkshire from 9am on Saturday (Jan 4) until midnight on Sunday (Jan 5) due to snow.

There is also a separate amber weather warning for snow and freezing rain which also covers some parts of South Yorkshire and the Humber from 6pm on Saturday (Jan 4) until noon on Sunday (Jan 5).

Up to 30cm of snowfall is expected locally in both warning areas, with 3 to 7cm likely in other areas.

It comes after a series of yellow weather warnings were already issued across the UK by the forecaster between Friday and Monday.

The Met Office said there’s a “slight chance” some rural communities could become cut off, with the following thaw potentially leading to more flooding.

Dozens of roads have already been closed in North and West Yorkshire due to flooding, including the A59 in both directions, due to a landslip at Kex Gill.

Roads at both ends of the village of Kirkby Wiske, alongside the river Wiske, in Hambleton, were shut yesterday due to flooding. The A684 at Scruton and Warton was also closed.

Meteorologist Zoe Hutin, from the Met Office, said snow will arrive in Yorkshire from around 6pm tomorrow. She said: “For most there’s a chance of up to 5cm of snow, and up to 20 to 40cm of snow in places across the Pennines.

"The highest ground will be most affected. The winds will be picking up and it could be quite blizzard-like across higher ground. Where there’s quite persistent snowfall the snow could be drifted. It could be quite disruptive – in addition to losing phone coverage, power cuts could be possible.”

The snow will start to fall as rain on Sunday, and a thaw will begin, before freezing again on Sunday night.

The imminent cold snap could put the elderly at risk of death, the UK Health Security Agency warned.

Amber alerts have been issued across England until January 8, meaning a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions, is likely, the UKHSA said.

Age UK director Caroline Abrahams said the Government’s decision to limit the allowance to only the poorest pensioners will be put “into sharp relief” by the cold snap.

Ms Abrahams said the charity had already been contacted by older people “worrying about what to do when this moment arrived”.

From this winter, only people on pension credit or certain other benefits will receive the winter fuel payments while more than 9m others are set to be stripped of the allowance.

“We urge older people to do everything they can to stay warm, even if that means risking spending more on their heating than they feel they can afford,” the charity director said.

“The energy companies are under an obligation to help if you are struggling and there may be support available from your local council too.”

Yorkshire Water advised customers to insulate their pipes to prevent them from freezing and potentially bursting over the weekend. The responsibility of pipes on private property lies with the homeowner.