Wintry weather prompts travel warnings across UK and Netherlands

Travel disruption is expected across parts of the UK and northern Europe as wintry weather brings snow, ice and strong winds, with conditions likely to persist into the weekend.

In the Netherlands, Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam and airline KLM warned travellers on Friday of possible delays and flight cancellations due to winter weather and high winds. Dozens of flights were already cancelled or delayed by Friday morning, according to Schiphol’s website. Passengers have been advised to monitor flight information closely through airlines and airport updates.

The wider Amsterdam region experienced persistent rainfall on Friday, accompanied by wind gusts of up to 65km/h. A yellow weather warning for icy conditions is in force across the Netherlands until Sunday morning.

In the UK, the Met Office has issued a series of weather warnings as snow and ice move south-eastwards across the country. Yellow warnings are in place for large parts of England and Wales, including London, Greater Manchester and Cardiff, while an amber warning for snow covers northern Scotland from midday on Friday until Saturday.

Snowfall of around 2cm is expected in some areas, rising to 5cm on higher ground. In parts of Scotland, accumulations could reach up to 20cm at lower levels and as much as 40cm on higher ground. The Met Office has cautioned that conditions in amber warning areas could lead to power outages and vehicles becoming stranded, with drifting snow and temporary blizzard conditions possible due to strong winds.

Disruption has already been reported in the Scottish Highlands and north-east Scotland, where heavy snow caused difficulties for motorists on New Year’s Day. Separate yellow warnings for snow and ice are also in place for Northern Ireland during Friday morning.

Road and rail users across the UK have been advised to allow extra time for journeys. The AA estimates that more than 20 million car journeys will be made on UK roads on Friday, increasing the risk of delays where conditions deteriorate.

The Met Office said the current cold spell is expected to continue into the weekend and possibly into next week, with further warnings likely. The UK Health Security Agency has also issued cold weather alerts for England until 6 January, citing potential pressure on health and social care services, particularly affecting older people and those with underlying health conditions.