West Midlands weather expected to worsen as alert for snow and ice increases from yellow to amber
Weather in the West Midlands is expected to take a frosty turn as temperatures are expected to drop again - with serious warnings issued.
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An amber weather warning for snow and ice has been put in place of the yellow warning previously issued by the Met Office, warning people of adverse driving conditions and freezing rains.
The Met Office's amber weather warning that "snow and freezing rain will likely lead to disruption to transport and some other services" comes into effect from 6pm on Saturday.
Over the weekend, a low of -2C is expected on Saturday and potential for -4C is forecast on Sunday.
Other parts of the country are facing a 'cold snap' of as low as -8C after temperatures dropped to -5C on Thursday night.
The weather warning, which started on Friday, is expected to stay in place for the West Midlands and Shropshire until Sunday, January 5, with the majority of Scotland remaining on alert until January 6.
Dan Stroud, meteorologist at the Met Office, said that conditions are expected to turn warmer towards the end of the weekend, before cold weather strikes again early next week.
He said: "The second half of the weekend should be in the high singles or low doubles (for temperature figures).
“But temperatures will dive again next week, particularly on Monday and Tuesday.
“They should start to improve towards the latter end of the week. But there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge until then."
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said: "The forecasted temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, including those ages 65 and over and those with pre-existing medical conditions, and it is therefore vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.
"These people could be more at risk of heart attacks, stroke and chest infections and a result of cold temperatures."
Travel delays are also expected due to the adverse weather, with public transport users being warned to check well ahead of travelling.
Roads watchdogs, West Midland Roads, said on X: "Met Office has updated the snow and ie warning to an amber warning.
"This is likely to cause distruption to transport and roads.
"Plan ahead, keep checking weather forecasts and consider delaying journeys during the warning validity period."
For more information on the latest weather information, visit the Met Office website.
