Reports suggest that the UK may be on the brink of encountering its third named storm of the 2024-2025 winter season due to heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures.
Projections indicate that up to 3ft of snow could blanket the higher elevations of Scotland in the coming days, with snowfall expected across the entire UK before the week concludes, as indicated by the latest weather forecasts. Simultaneously, the UK is poised to endure an Arctic chill of -8C, prompting a significant cold weather health advisory.
The anticipated wintry conditions might lead to the official naming of Storm Chandra by the Met Office, according to Jim Dale, chief meteorologist of British Weather Services. Dale warned of persistently unpredictable weather patterns until the week’s end, particularly on January 8 and 9.
Jim Dale cautioned that the upcoming weather conditions could be perilous, with a clash between Atlantic and Arctic air masses looming. He emphasized the potential for freezing temperatures, icy conditions, heavy snowfall, freezing rain, substantial rainfall, and strong winds, creating a volatile and hazardous situation.
Furthermore, Dale highlighted the likelihood of Storm Chandra being named, following Storm Bram from December 8 last year. Storm Bram triggered amber weather alerts for fierce winds in north-west Scotland and the Western Isles, accompanied by unseasonably warm temperatures reaching 16C in some areas, significantly above average for December.
Elsewhere, Storm Amy was named on October 1, 2025, heralding powerful winds that wreaked havoc in the UK. Tragically, a man in the Republic of Ireland lost his life to the storm, and nearly 40,000 households were left without electricity.
Recent heavy snowfall led to the closure of numerous schools, flight cancellations, and traffic standstills in Scotland, with some regions reporting up to 34cm of snow accumulation this morning.
Amber weather alerts remained in effect until 10 am in parts of Scotland, warning of significant snowfall and travel disturbances, while yellow warnings for snow and ice persisted in various UK regions. Multiple schools across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland shuttered their doors on Monday due to the adverse weather, causing flight cancellations and disruptions to train services.
The Met Office reported substantial snowfall in various locations, including 34cm in Loch Glascarnoch, 27cm in Dyce, 27cm in Altnaharra, 19cm in Sennybridge, 9cm in Castlederg, and 6cm in Bridlington.
Amber alerts spanned Aberdeen, Aviemore, Ullapool, and other areas, encompassing much of the Highlands and Aberdeenshire, Orkney, Shetland, and the Outer Hebrides, from Sunday evening until Monday morning.
Meanwhile, yellow warnings for snow and ice covered a broad swath of the UK, with some expiring on Monday morning, leaving warnings in place for Scotland, Wales, southwest England, and eastern regions extending to the Scottish Borders.
Amber weather alerts signal a heightened risk of severe weather impacts, potentially resulting in travel disruptions, road closures, power outages, and threats to life and property.
Yellow alerts are issued for various weather scenarios, indicating low-level impacts such as minor travel disruptions in isolated areas, or the possibility of severe impacts affecting a larger population, albeit with lower certainty of occurrence, according to the Met Office.
The UK Health Security Agency issued amber cold health alerts for England, cautioning of adverse temperatures affecting health and well-being until the end of the week.
Recorded overnight temperatures plummeted to minus 10.9C in Shap, Cumbria, minus 10.3C in Sennybridge, Powys, and minus 9.9C in Bala, Gwynedd, according to the Met Office.