The Met Office said snow and ice could cause travel disruption
13:17, 03 Jan 2026
All of Merseyside will be affected by the yellow weather warning(Image: The Met Office)
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice across the whole of Merseyside. Forecasters initially issued yellow weather alerts on Friday for regions across the south and east of the UK.
But in a new update issued on Saturday, The Met Office extended the warning to include the whole of Merseyside, as well as Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and the north of Wales.
The warning comes into force at 3pm on Sunday, January 4 and lasts until midday on Monday. The Met Office said snow and ice could cause travel disruption with drivers and pedestrians urged to take care on icy surfaces.
A Met Office spokesperson said: “Snow showers are expected to push further inland across Wales, parts of North West England, the West Midlands and South West England during Sunday evening. Along windward coasts, some rain and sleet is likely, but inland showers will fall as snow.
“Whilst not all locations in the warning area will see snow, 1-3 cm could develop in many places by Monday morning, with the potential for 5-8 cm to build up in a few locations, particularly across inland and higher parts of Wales. Icy stretches are likely to form widely.”
The Met Office previously said Merseyside is due to experience an “isolated snow flurry” over the weekend. The forecaster said Sunday was due to start largely dry but become frosty and cold before “rain or snow, perhaps heavy” was expected.
The cold temperatures have disrupted amateur and semi-professional football in Merseyside on Saturday afternoon.
Prescot Cables FC confirmed its match, due to kick-off against Warrington Rylands at 3pm, had been postponed due to a frozen pitch. City of Liverpool FC, due to play against FC St Helens at the same time, has also been postponed for the same reason.
Temperatures are listed at around 2C for much of Sunday before dropping down to -1C overnight. Sunny spells on Monday morning will lift the temperature above freezing as the day progresses.
The weather forecast for today, Saturday, January 3 currently says: “Plenty of crisp winter sunshine today and staying generally dry apart from an isolated snow flurry across Merseyside.
“Feeling very cold, especially in areas exposed to the brisk north-westerly breeze. Temperatures quickly dropping below freezing after sunset. Maximum temperature 4C.”
What should we expect?
Some roads and railways are likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services.
Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.
Probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.
What we should do
The Met Office said: “Snowy, wintry weather can cause delays and make driving conditions dangerous. Keep yourself and others safe by planning your route and giving yourself extra time for your journey. Check for road closures or delays to public transport and amend plans if necessary.”Keep yourself and your family safe when it is icy. Plan to leave the house at least five minutes earlier than normal. Not needing to rush, reduces your risk of accidents, slips, and falls.”If you need to make a journey on foot, try to use pavements along main roads which are likely to be less slippery. Similarly, if cycling, try and stick to main roads which are more likely to have been treated.”Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary.”If driving, make sure you have some essentials in your car in the event of any delays (e.g., warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch, ice scraper/de-icer, a warning triangle, high visibility vest and an in-car phone charger).”Be prepared for weather warnings to change When a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area.”
