Britons to ring within the new yr with snow, ice and gale-force winds | EUROtoday

Northern elements of the UK could possibly be battered by snow and gale-force winds as the brand new yr begins.

The Met Office has issued a yellow climate warning for snow and ice for elements of Scotland north of the central belt from 6am on New Year’s Day till midnight on Friday, 2 January.

The warning covers the whole thing of northern Scotland, with Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Eilean Siar, Orkney and Shetland, and Strathclyde the areas and native authorities affected.

These areas shall be battered by sturdy, probably gale-force northerly winds, in accordance with the forecaster.

Around 10cm of snow is predicted to have settled in some areas by Friday morning, reaching as much as 30cm on the best roads and hills.

The Met Office stated: “Given the strength of the wind, some significant drifting of snow is likely. Lightning may well be an additional hazard.”

New Year’s Eve shall be largely settled for a lot of throughout the UK, however winds and showers will decide up in Scotland. Temperatures are then anticipated to drop on the flip of the yr.

Meanwhile, amber chilly well being alerts have been issued for the North East and North West of England, that are on account of stay in place till midday on 5 January, with temperatures anticipated to be between 3C and 5C.

About the yellow climate warning, Met Office deputy chief forecaster Mark Sidaway stated: “It certainly looks like we are in for a taste of ‘winter’ as we welcome in the new year, initially in the north, but more widely across the UK for the first week of 2026.

“Arctic air and strong northerly winds will bring cold or very cold conditions to all parts of the UK, and it will feel especially cold in the strong winds. Widespread and locally severe frosts are expected, along with the first snow of the winter for many.

“A yellow warning for snow and ice has been issued for northern Scotland on New Year’s Day and beyond, where frequent and heavy snow showers may lead to some travel disruption.

“These colder conditions and wintry hazards – snow, ice and strong winds – will develop more widely as we enter the new year, with more warnings for snow and ice likely. It looks like this cold spell will last through at least the first week of January, so it’s important people keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings.”

George Fiddes from Transport Scotland stated: “Particularly cold weather is expected this week, which is likely to impact driving conditions in the areas covered by the yellow warning, so our advice to motorists is to plan your journey, leave extra time if needed and drive to the conditions.

He added: “There may also be disruption on other modes of transport, so please check with your operator before setting off if you’re planning to travel by rail, ferry or air.”