The Met Office has issued two new or extended snow and ice weather warnings for Wales after temperatures fell to -13°C early on Friday morning. People are being warned of widespread disruption throughout the weekend with travel delays, risk of injuries and rural communities potentially being cut off.
The forecaster's first new yellow warning runs from 9pm on Friday, December 16 to 10:30am on Saturday. The warning says people should expect showery rain and sleet, with snow over some hills which will lead to an ice risk tonight and possible travel disruption. It covers large areas of Wales in the north, west and south.
Met Office forecasters have also extended a warning that was already in place for snow and ice from 3am on Sunday until 9pm. This warning now covers the whole of Wales. Roads are expected to become icy and there is a chance that road, air and rail services could be disrupted or delayed. These warnings come as the country experienced it's coldest night on record on Thursday as temperatures dropped to -13°C.
Read more: Wales breaks another coldest night record as temperatures reach -13°C
Warning 1: 9pm Friday to 10.30am Saturday
The warning for Friday night into Saturday reads: "Bands of showery rain are expected run inland tonight, turning to sleet and snow over some of the higher ground. Surfaces are very cold at present, posing the possibility of ice in some areas, the likelihood of this perhaps increased in places by "wash-off" of road grit or salt. Above 200 to 300 metres elevation some snowfall is likely, with a few cm over some trans-Pennine routes."
The areas covered by Wales in the warning are:
- Blaenau Gwent
- Bridgend
- Caerphilly
- Cardiff
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Denbighshire
- Flintshire
- Gwynedd
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Monmouthshire
- Neath Port Talbot
- Newport
- Pembrokeshire
- Powys
- Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Swansea
- Torfaen
- Vale of Glamorgan
- Wrexham
Warning 2: 3am Sunday to 2pm Sunday
The warnings states: "A period of snow will lead to some disruption to travel and other activities, before turning to rain later. Expect possible travel delays on roads stranding some vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel. Some rural communities could become cut off. Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage. A chance of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces"
After this period of freezing temperatures, it looks set to get slightly milder into Christmas week with areas primarily in the double digits. BBC Wales weather presenter Derek Brockway said earlier this week: "Gradually turning milder during Sunday with rain and stronger winds. Any snow in the morning soon turning to rain. 14 or 15°C in places on Monday.
"Temperatures drop closer to average midweek onwards but not as cold as it is now. 13°C in Wrexham next Monday. 5°C on Christmas Eve."
Met Office forecast for Wales:
Saturday:
Further showers on Saturday, particularly in the north and west, these wintry over high ground. Drier and brighter further south with sunny spells. Winds increasing from the west later. Maximum temperature 8 °C.
Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:
A spell of snow likely overnight into Sunday, with rain quickly following. Much milder than of late with further rain Monday. Drier but cloudy and a little cooler on Tuesday.
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