What is a yellow weather warning?
Just when you thought Spring had sprung, bringing with it warmer weather, temperatures have plummeted across the UK.
The cold snap has seen the Met Office issue a yellow weather warning for north Scotland, where drivers were warned about icy roads and potential delays on public transport.
Scotland and the wider UK will be hit with sleet, hail and snow showers as the week continues, while widespread frost and ‘wintry showers’ will pass over higher ground towards the weekend.
What is a yellow weather warning and what can people expect?
What are weather warnings?
Determined by the Met Office, weather warnings are notifications to inform people of conditions that could impact their plans or – in the very worst cases – pose a threat to life.
Ranging from yellow to red, they indicate the severity of the weather conditions to come – from wind and rain to snowstorms.
What is a yellow weather warning?
The mildest of the warnings, a yellow weather warning alerts the public to upcoming meteorological events which may cause disruption to travel.
A representative from the Met Office states: ‘Many people may be able to continue with their daily routine, but there will be some that will be directly impacted and so it is important to assess if you could be affected.
‘Other yellow warnings are issued when the weather could bring much more severe impacts to the majority of people but the certainty of those impacts occurring is much lower.’
Still, a yellow weather warning is well worth being aware of as it may indicate a threat of floods or possible damage to homes and businesses.
The Met Office has said of the current warning: ‘Snow and hail showers could lead to icy surfaces, with possible travel disruption.’
Met Office chief meteorologist Steve Willington said: ‘Cold and unsettled weather is taking charge over much of the UK this week, as cold air is drawn in from the north and brings with it the risk of rain, sleet and snow.
‘Although there’s still some uncertainty on the exact positioning of snow showers, the trend is for a mix of sleet and snow to fall as a cold front moves from the north to the south from late on Tuesday through to Thursday morning.
‘Some clear spells are still around later in the week, with the best of any sunshine likely to be in the south and west of the UK, albeit feeling cold compared to last week.’
What is a red weather warning?
The most severe of the weather warnings is the red level.
While a red warning is a rare occurrence in the UK, one was issued ahead of Storm Arwen hitting the UK on November 26.
According to the Met Office, if this warning is issued you must ‘take action now to keep yourself and others safe from the impact of the weather.
What is an amber weather warning?
An amber weather warning is the next step up after the yellow stage, alerting people of events that are likely to have a medium to high impact on normal life.
This means there is the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property. Conditions for an amber weather warning include heavy wind, rain, fog, ice and snow.
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