HEAVY snow may cause significant disruption on Thursday and Friday, the Met Office has warned.

A yellow weather warning for snow and ice, affecting parts of Scotland and northern England including Northumberland, is currently in place until 10am on Wednesday.

A further yellow warning affecting the county has now been issued for Thursday and Friday.

The Met Office said: "Snow could develop quite widely across the warning area on Thursday and Friday as a potentially quite deep area of low pressure moves across the UK.

READ MORE: Here are the latest planning applications submitted to Northumberland County Council

"Parts of Northern Ireland, north Wales and northern England are currently expected to see the worst of the conditions on Thursday, with parts of Scotland and northern England then seeing the heaviest snow on Friday.

"Event totals could bring 5 to 10 cm of snow to many locations, even at low elevations, with potentially 15 to 20 cm accumulating across the northern portion of the warning area.

"Higher elevations of the North Pennines, Southern Uplands, higher parts of the Central Belt and the southern Highlands may see as much as 30 to 40 cm of snow in places. In addition, there is potential for strong winds, which may lead to blizzard conditions and drifting of lying snow."

This warning will come into force at 3am on Thursday, March 9 and will stay in effect until 6pm on Friday, March 10.

The Met Office has said the following should be expected:

 

  • There is a small chance that long delays and cancellations on bus, rail and air travel could occur
  • There is a slight chance that roads may become blocked by deep snow, with many stranded vehicles and passengers
  • There is a small chance that communities could be cut off for several days
  • There is a small chance that long interruptions to power supplies and other services, such as gas, water, telephone and mobile phone coverage, may occur

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a Level 3 Cold Weather Alert for the whole of England which is likely to be reviewed in the coming days.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “During periods like this, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may be more vulnerable to the cold weather, as it can have a serious impact on health.

“If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat your home to at least 18°C if you can.’’