Much of northern England is set to face localised blizzard conditions, winds of up to 80mph, and a yellow ice warning this week.
The latter end of 2021 certainly brought with it all manner of unpredictable weather conditions, including both Storm Arwen and Storm Barra, all before the country experienced what was described as “an exceptionally mild spell” and recorded the warmest ever New Year’s Day since records began.
But now, temperatures are set to plummet this week – and snow could be on its way.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice for much of the North, including parts of Greater Manchester, from midnight on Friday (7 January) to 10am, and it appears to covers parts of Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, and Wigan.
The warning also covers parts of Lancashire, West Yorkshire, Cumbria, Scotland, and Ireland too – with forecasters saying there could be “frequent sleet and snow showers” leading to some potential disruption to travel and difficult driving conditions, as per the definition of a Met Office yellow weather warning.
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If Friday’s forecast turns out to be true, the Met Office says that some roads and railways are likely to be affected, with longer journey times by road, bus, and train services, and there will also probably be some icy patches on untreated roads, pavements, and cycle paths
Some brief power outages are possible too, with a risk of isolated lightning strikes.
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The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice for much of the North / Credit: Pxhere
Warnings for these harsh conditions and temperatures dropping to close to and below sub-zero before this week is out comes after a yellow weather warning for ice was issued for Greater Manchester this morning (4 January) – a stark difference following the uncharacteristic warm spell.
Today is proving to be “noticeably colder across the whole of the country”, the Met Office said, with temperatures peaking at 8°C.
Make sure you are #WeatherReady in the colder months. Cold weather can be a risk to your health especially if you are over 65 or have a long-term health condition. Your home should be heated to more than 18°C
Brits are also being urged to check on their elderly neighbours as it begins to get colder, with Agostinho Sousa – a consultant in public health medicine at UKHSA – having warned that cold weather can have a “serious impact on health, particularly for older people and those with heart and lung problems”.
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He continued: “It’s important to check on those who are more vulnerable to cold weather, including older neighbours or relatives – especially those living alone or those who have a serious illness.
“Remind them to heat their home to at least 18°C and to keep up to date with the forecast.”
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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One in 10 Brits are fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party, new survey finds
Emily Sergeant
We’re in peak office Christmas party season right about now.
With just under two weeks to go until the big day itself is here, many businesses across the UK are treating their staff to night out to celebrate both the festive season and all of the hard work they have been putting in throughout the year… and as you can expect, these are usually quite eventful gatherings, shall we say.
But now, a survey by has shed light on just how ‘eventful’ they actually are, as a new survey has revealed that, apparently, one in ten Brits face some sort of disciplinary action or dismissal due to their behaviour at Christmas parties.
The study was conducted by After Drink, and included more than 2,000 participants.
During the research, it was highlighted that 89% of employees admitted to drinking alcohol at these events, Lad Bible reports – with 65% of these confessing that they drank “excessively”.
One in 10 Brits get fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party / Credit: Kraken Images | Mimi Thian (via Unsplash)
There are a multitude of incidents which could lead to disciplinary action in the workplace nowadays, but according to the survey, some of the common reasons following festive celebrations with colleagues included inappropriate comments (23%) and even getting into fights (21%).
16% of these incidents were because of drug use during the event, while inappropriate interactions with colleagues accounted for 14%.
Some of the legal reasons you can be fired from your place of work after a Christmas party include gross misconduct, drunken behaviour, and fighting of any kind.
Despite all these risks, however, Christmas parties still remain as popular as always, and a whopping 79% of respondents said they are planning to attend theirs this year.
Clearly, the moral of the story here is , enjoy yourself… but just not too much.
Featured Image – The OurWhiskey Company (via Pexels)
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Half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
Christmas dinner is one of the key parts of any festive celebration.
No matter whether you choose to tuck into a traditional roast with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy, or you prefer to go for something a little different like a curry or a Chinese instead, your Christmas dinner is a chance to gather round with your loved ones and enjoy one of the heartiest meals you’ll likely have all year.
However, some shocking new figures have revealed that half of Manchester residents have no clue how to even cook a Christmas dinner.
Through a major study by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, AO.com, it was revealed that the majority of our city’s residents are “losing confidence” in preparing even the simplest of British dishes – with a traditional roast or Christmas dinner being one of them.
A new survey has revealed that half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner / Credit: Freepik | GoodFon
As part of its new campaign to get Brits back into the kitchen, AO found that just 57% of respondents reckon they would be able to make a roast dinner, 52% could whip up a classic shepherd’s pie, 58% could cook bangers and mash, merely 61% could prepare a full English breakfast, and again, only 57% could tackle fish and chips.
Classic desserts are clearly a struggle for us Mancs too, according to the survey, as only 19% of respondents said they’d feel confident cooking a Christmas pudding.
The survey also found that nationwide, it was Gen Z – those between the age of 16 and 27 – that are the least confident in their ability to cook great British classics, while on the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers are the most capable, proving that culinary confidence increases with age.
Our region’s residents are apparently ‘losing confidence’ at cooking simple British classics / Credit: Freepik
Commenting on the results, Jay Lockton, oven expert at AO.com, said: “Kitchens should be a place of creativity and joy, but our data shows that a lot of people in Manchester are losing confidence in preparing even the simplest of British dishes.
“Based on our findings, many younger people may be opting for convenience foods or takeaways due to their busy schedules and the perception that cooking from scratch is time-consuming or difficult.
Emily Sergeant -
4th January 2022 
