Cumbria is set to be hit by snow and ice this week.
The Met Office issued a yellow warning for snow and icy conditions across the county from midnight until 11am today, Tuesday January 6.
It added that mainly light snow will move east across southern Scotland into northern England on Tuesday morning before largely fading and clearing during the afternoon.
Most places will see no more than 2cm of snow but that a few places over higher ground in the Lake District may see up to 5cm.
The weather forecaster added that a few heavier bursts of snow are possible across the Lake District.
As the snow will fall onto frozen surfaces, icy conditions that could lead to disruption, particularly to travel over higher routes, is likely.
What should I expect?
- Some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services
- Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces
- Probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths
Why should I care about weather warnings?
Weather warnings are issued to let people know what weather is in store for their area and what its impact could be.
The Met Office is the UK’s official weather service and is responsible for issuing weather warnings to the public.
There are three main levels of weather warning:
- Yellow – which asks people to be prepared for disruption
- Amber – which asks people to change plans that could be impacted by the weather and take action to protect themselves and their property
- Red – which is issued for weather that poses a danger to life and asks people to immediately take direct action to keep themselves and others safe from impacts of the weather
Yellow and amber warnings represent a range of impact levels and likelihoods. This means it is important for people to read each warning to know what level of impact to expect in their local area – and how likely those impacts are to occur.
The Met Office began issuing ‘impact-based’ warnings in 2011 – which means that warnings are issued when the weather may have an impact on people’s day to day lives.
Previous to this, warnings were issued to the public when certain weather thresholds or levels were reached.
Impact-based warnings take multiple factors into account – these include time of day, if it may impact traffic, time of year, if the weather is unusual, if there are any seasonal events taking place and if the area is well equipped to deal with the weather.
Each warning level is designed to help people take steps to minimise the chances of disruption in their lives.
