Severe weather warning issued by Croydon Council- stay safe
28/02/2018 16:03:00.......Posted by Margaret Bird
Headline: Very cold conditions will persist across the London area over the next few days, with further snow showers and icy surfaces possible at times. A persistent spell of snow, and potentially very icy conditions may affect the capital on Thursday and Friday. Travel delays on roads, as well as delays or cancellations to rail and air travel are expected. Power cuts may also occur and other services, such as mobile phones, may be affected. Warnings Issued: - Yellow SNOW Warning (Low Likelihood of Medium Impacts) valid 0955 to 2355 on Wednesday 28th February 2018 (for far northern parts of London) - Yellow WIND and SNOW Warning (Low Likelihood of Medium Impacts) valid 0800 to 2355 on Thursday 1st March 2018 (for all except the far northeast of London) - Yellow SNOW and ICE Warning (Low Likelihood of Medium Impacts) valid 0005 to 2355 on Friday 2nd March 2018 - Yellow ICE Warning (Medium Likelihood of Low Impacts) valid 0005 to 0900 0n Saturday 3rd March 2018. Wednesday: Snow showers will continue to move from east to west across the capital this afternoon in the brisk easterly wind, although they are expected to become lighter and ease by the end of the day. Additional snow accumulations are likely to be minimal but a further centimetre or two cannot be ruled out, particularly in the more northern parts of Greater London. This may lead to further travel delays on roads, with some stranded vehicles and passengers, as well as delays or cancellations to rail and air travel. Power outages may also occur and other services, such as mobile phones, may be affected. The Met Office have updated the Yellow SNOW Warning (Low Likelihood of Medium Impacts) so that it now covers just the far northern parts of London, where impacts are most likely to be seen during the rest of Wednesday. Thursday: After a largely dry night, with few, if any, further snow showers, an area of low pressure is expected to move north to lie southwest of the UK during Thursday with its associated frontal systems pushing slowly north. There are a few uncertainties around the details of the forecast so it will be monitored carefully and further updates sent if required. Areas of snow, possibly heavy, are expected to arrive into southern parts of London around daybreak tomorrow and move erratically northwards during the morning, perhaps bringing 2-5 cm of snow quite widely. During the evening and night slightly less cold air is expected to move from the south with a low potential for the rain to turn to freezing rain increasing the ice risk, however, the risk is lower than previously expected with the risk greater further west into Southwest England. As well as the snow and possible freezing rain the easterly wind will strengthen further with gusts of 30-40 mph. With trees potentially covered in snow or ice and a strong easterly wind, an unusual direction, we could see trees or branches coming down. A Yellow WIND and SNOW Warning (Low Likelihood of Medium Impacts) has been issued for all except the far northeast of London to highlight that there is the possibility of seeing some impacts from the combination of strong winds and snow on Thursday, including travel delays on roads, with some stranded vehicles and passengers, as well as delays or cancellations to rail and air travel. Power outages may also occur and other services, such as mobile phones, may be affected. Friday Further spells of snow/sleet/rain are likely to continue north through Friday, again accompanied by some strong winds, although winds are expected to ease during the day. The complexities of the situation mean that amounts of snow are likely to be highly variable, but currently locations further west over parts of the Thames Valley, Southwest England and Wales look like seeing the worst of the conditions, but we will monitor this closely in case the risk for London increases. The Met Office have issued a Yellow SNOW and ICE Warning (Low Likelihood of Medium Impacts) for London on Friday. Saturday: There is the potential to see further rain/sleet/snow at times on Saturday. At this stage, ice is expected to be the most significant hazard, due to a combination of low temperatures and surfaces likely to be wet, from earlier rain and snow or a partial thaw of lying snow, with icy stretches forming on untreated surfaces. As a result, driving and cycling conditions may become difficult and there is an increased chance of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces. The Met Office have issued a Yellow ICE Warning (Medium Likelihood of Low Impacts) for London for the early hours of Saturday morning up until 09:00. Throughout the rest of the week, daytime temperatures will rise to only just above freezing and overnight temperatures will be well below leading to severe frosts. The low temperatures and fairly brisk easterly wind will lead to a significant wind chill, making it feel well below freezing. The Level-3 Cold Weather Alert remains in force for London until 15:00 on Saturday. Further ahead: It will stay cold with further rain, sleet or snow expected on Sunday and into Monday, as an area of low pressure moves north across the UK with showers following, although at this stage, rain or sleet is considered more likely than snow for London. During next week, temperatures could return nearer normal, making it less cold than recent days. However, it is likely to remain unsettled, with rain and strong winds at times. Operational Preparedness & Response: - The council’s usual on-call/duty officers (CCTV, highways and resilience) are continually monitoring the situation, initiating responses as required. - Winter Service Plan for gritting main routes in operation, monitored and reviewed throughout the day. Warnings and alerts for London and the Southeast can be viewed on the Met Office website athttps://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings#?date=2017-10-21&lat=51.3775&lon=-0.0933 and on the App for the Met Office. Weather warnings - Met Office www.metoffice.gov.uk Met Office UK weather warnings for rain, snow, wind, fog and ice. Choose your location to keep up to date with local weather warnings.
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