Met Office warns UK to brace for 'multiple weather hazards' with snow and 'danger' wind alerts issued

Greater Manchester is braced for an unsettled week as 2025 approaches. Nine yellow weather warnings have been issued for this week by the Met Office across the UK.

Two of those warnings - for snow and wind - hit Greater Manchester on New Year's Day (Wednesday). The warning for snow hits central, northern and eastern areas of Greater Manchester, alongside much of the northern parts of England, from 9am on Wednesday to 3am on Thursday.

The full warning covers much of northern England and southern Scotland, with up to 25cm of snow forecast on higher ground. Strong winds also have the potential to “exacerbate impacts”, creating “blizzard conditions” which could freeze powerlines, the Met Office have said, with a wind warning in place covering much of England and Wales from 9am on Wednesday to 6am on Thursday.

Conditions will be more settled in Greater Manchester for the beginning of the week. Today (Monday) will see overcast conditions cover the region, with highs of 10C in Manchester and lows of 7C in Oldham. Some areas, including Wigan and Trafford, will see breaks in the cloud with sunny intervals by late morning.

Windy conditions will pick up on Tuesday afternoon, according to the latest Met Office forecast. Manchester could see gusts of up to 48mph tomorrow, while heavy rain is expected across the region for around 24 hours from New Year's Eve lunchtime.

Temperatures will fall from highs of 11C and lows of 5C in Manchester on Tuesday, to highs of 7C and lows of -1C on Wednesday, and highs of just 3C and lows of -3C on Thursday. Cold, sunny conditions are currently forecast for the end of the week, heading into the weekend.

On New Year’s Eve, delays to all types of transport are “likely” as strong winds persist and may