Brits wake up to snow before a battering from 70mph Storm Nelson
Several inches of snow, winds of up to 70mph and rain – not very spring-like, especially ahead of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, is it?
Alas, this is what people in parts of Britain have woken up to amid Storm Nelson. If a ‘carmageddon’ was also on your bingo sheet for the day, then you have won.
The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for snow, wind and rain across the country.
Forecasters said gusts could reach 70mph in some coastal areas with disruption possible.
Brighton, Portsmouth and Plymouth face strong winds that may lead to hazardous conditions.
The yellow warning is in place from 7am to 6pm today, and people are being told that there is a small chance that injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts.
Meanwhile, the pouring rain turned to snow overnight in large parts of Wales.
Despite it being almost April, parts of Swansea look like a real winter wonderland.
The yellow weather warning for snow ended at 7am, but the unsettled conditions will continue later today.
A new warning about heavy rain is also in place for Northern Ireland, until 3am on Friday.
‘Heavy rain may bring impacts to travel and infrastructure at times on Thursday, and at first Friday,’ the Met Office said.
For those travelling over the weekend, the RAC has advised drivers to ‘be on their guard’ regarding the changing road conditions.
Residents of the affected areas should also expect longer journey times, potential power cuts and impacts on mobile phone coverage.
Looking further ahead, the Met Office said the forecast for the Easter weekend remained ‘unsettled’ but ‘bright and breezy’.
Temperatures are even set to reach 15°C in west London and 14°C in Manchester on Sunday.
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Rod Dennis said: ‘With plenty of classic early spring weather over the Easter bank holiday weekend, drivers getting away will definitely need to be on their guard and ready to cope with rapidly changing road conditions.
‘Slowing down in the heaviest of downpours on Good Friday and Easter Saturday is a must as stopping distances will be far greater.’
Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge said: ‘Good Friday sees low-pressure continuing to feed showers and longer spells of rain across the UK, although drier spells will develop in the east.
‘Saturday continues this pattern, but for many, Easter Sunday is likely to be the best day of the weekend before conditions turn more unsettled again on Easter Monday.’
‘Following the forecast should enable everyone to experience the best the weekend has to offer,’ he added.
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