Brighter and sunny weather won’t be coming to East Lancashire just yet as snow is to make an appearance towards the end of this week.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow in East Lancashire on Thursday and Friday.

The forecaster has put the warning in place from Thursday, March 9, at 3am to Friday March 10 at 6pm with heavy snow having the potential to cause significant disruption.

Lancashire Telegraph:

The yellow weather warning covers all of East Lancashire from 3am on Thursday to 6pm on Friday 

The UKHSA is encouraging people to stay warm and look out for those most at risk from the effects of the weather, such as people with medical conditions or over the age of 65.

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Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said conditions could be similar to those experienced during a cold snap in December 2022 and may not lift for almost a fortnight.

He said: “Temperatures will be much, much colder than we would expect at this time of year.

“The pattern will set in for some time. We have got this feed of cold air coming in from a much higher latitude.

“We expect these conditions to remain in place until at least next weekend and possibly longer because sometimes these conditions can be quite stubborn and not easily subject to change.”

The Met Office warned travel disruption is likely and journey times by car, train and bus may take longer than usual.

People are at risk of slipping and falling on icy patches of untreated roads, pavements, and paths while some rural communities could become cut off from the power grid.

Mr Madge said: “This is a disruptive spell of weather which could have quite serious consequences for some.

“Listen to the forecast, take account of weather warnings and expect to see some potentially disruptive conditions wherever you are.”

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has placed north-east England, north-west England, and Yorkshire under a level three cold weather alert, with the rest of England at level two, until midnight on Thursday.

A level three alert means there is a 90 per cent chance of severely cold weather, icy conditions, or heavy snow, which could increase the health risk to vulnerable patients.

Snow and ice are expected across much of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland tonight, the Met Office has said.

The forecasting body said temperatures in parts of the UK will drop below freezing and will not top mid-single figures during the day on Tuesday or Wednesday.