Skip to content

Ice warning in place overnight after snowfall

Olga | BBC Weather Watchers A snow-covered country lane. The trees, hedgerows and verges on either side of the road are blanketed in snow. the road has two tracks where tyres of vehicles has melted the snow into two dark lines that run to the top of the picture where the sun is setting in a yellow sky. Olga | BBC Weather Watchers
arron | BBC Weather Watchers Sunset on a country road. the sky is golden and reflecting onto the road surface which has a strip of snow in the middle where car tyres have not melted the ice. the hedgerows on either side of the road are also covered in snow. arron | BBC Weather Watchers
Some rail passengers will have to get the bus with snow still on the ground in many places, including Bettws Gwerfil Goch, Denbighshire
Motorists face snow and ice on the roads, like this one in Wrexham

Icy conditions are expected to cause further disruption into Thursday morning following Wales' first snowfall of the season.

The Met Office issued a yellow warning for ice across Wales, which is in place from 16:00 GMT on Wednesday until 10:00 on Thursday.

Almost 50 schools were closed on Wednesday in Wrexham, Powys, Caerphilly and Denbighshire.

Buses replaced trains between Llandudno, Conwy county, and Blaenau Ffestiniog in Gwynedd, and a road in Wrexham was shut.

Forecasters have warned people to take extra care when making journeys, and to expect disruption.

"With cold Arctic air firmly in place over the UK, continued winter hazards are likely through much of this week," said Met Office chief meteorologist Neil Armstrong.

The Met Office said cold northerly winds will continue through the week across much of the UK, with further warnings likely.

It added that temperatures were likely to increase from the south-west this weekend, though this will be accompanied by some strong winds and heavy rain.

Snowfall brings Wales its "first taste of winter"

What's the forecast in Wales?

Icy patches are expected to form on untreated surfaces during Wednesday evening and overnight into Thursday as temperatures drop below freezing, according to the Met Office.

Areas in north Wales are mainly affected, with yellow weather warnings in place from 16:00 GMT on Wednesday until 10:00 on Thursday.

A few sleet or snow showers will also be likely, particularly close to coasts.

The forecaster has warned people should expect some roads and railways to be affected with longer journey time.

By the weekend, the cold air is set to be replaced by milder south-westerly winds with potentially wet and very windy weather sweeping in.

The Met Office Picture of the Met Office forecast across the UK for Thursday. The Met Office
The Met Office issued three yellow warnings across the UK until Thursday morning

Snow started falling across parts of the UK on Monday night, causing more than 140 schools to shut in Wales and several roads to close on Tuesday.

Transport for Wales said 13% of its services had been disrupted due to severe weather on Tuesday.

A lorry stuck in snow near Bwlchgwyn, Wrexham county, left a section of the A525 impassable in both directions.

The UK Health Security Agency also issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season, warning that conditions could be dangerous for elderly and vulnerable people.

The Alzheimer's Society warned cold weather could be "particularly challenging" for people with dementia.

"Colder temperatures can be difficult for a person with dementia to adjust to, and they may not always be able to communicate that they are cold - or they may not even recognise it themselves," the charity said.

Another charity, Asthma and Lung UK, urged those with lung conditions to be "extra careful".

The charity warned that cold weather could trigger potentially life-threatening asthma attacks, or "flare-ups", for people with other lung conditions.