Somerset and parts of Bristol have been hit with another weather warning as the freezing winter continues. The Met Office has issued a yellow ice warning for the region tomorrow, Friday, January 10, from 3am until 11am.
The forecasters have warned that: “Patchy rain and hill snow may lead to some ice for a time on Friday morning.” Some icy patches should be expected on untreated roads, pavements, and cycle paths, and there is also a risk of injuries from slipping and falling on icy surfaces.
The weather warning is in place across Somerset, North Somerset, and Bath and North East Somerset, as well as in Bristol, Gloucestershire, Devon, and parts of north Cornwall.
The full weather warning reads: “Outbreaks of rain, sleet, and patchy snow spreading northeastwards on Friday morning, falling onto frozen ground, may lead to some icy patches on untreated surfaces for a time.
“Any accumulating snow will be largely reserved for hills, where a patchy 1-2 cm may accumulate above 150m elevation, and a small chance of 3-5 cm over Dartmoor.
“The extent of any precipitation across the north and east of the warning area, for example across Wales, is more uncertain, and it may remain largely dry here.”
Across much of Somerset, temperatures can be expected to drop to freezing or below overnight, with 0°C forecast in Taunton, Bridgwater, Yeovil, and Wells at 3am when the weather warning comes into effect, while Weston-super-Mare is expected to drop to -1°C, and temperatures in Bath are set to be -2°C.
It will remain chilly throughout Friday, with highs of just 3°C expected across the county. Some spells of rain are also expected in the early part of the morning, although this should clear by 11am, according to Met Office weather maps.
South West weather forecast:
Today: A frosty and locally icy start with sunny intervals for many throughout the day. Dry for most as wintry showers across Cornwall and Devon fade. Feeling cold, but pleasant in the sun. Maximum temperature 6 °C.
Tonight: A dry but cold evening with frost and icy stretches developing. Cloud building overnight with rain and perhaps hill snow arriving for Cornwall and Devon as winds also strengthen. Minimum temperature -2 °C.
Friday: Rain and hill snow spreading across the region but turning increasingly patchy later in the day. Risk of ice on untreated surfaces continues. Another cold day and blustery around coasts. Maximum temperature 7 °C.
Outlook for Saturday to Monday: Rather cloudy on Saturday with patchy rain. Sunnier spells on Sunday and Monday after freezing fog clears. Generally cold over the weekend but turning milder into the new week.