HUDDERSFIELD weatherman Paul Stevens has criticised the Met Office for failing to give adequate warnings of today's heavy snow.   

Salendine-Nook based Paul Stevens says that, based on previous warnings, Huddersfield and surrounding districts should have been on at least an amber alert.   

He claims that yesterday’s snow the heaviest since 2010, was widely forecast and that Huddersfield residents should have been put on alert.   

Instead, the amber warning issued by the Met Office finished north of Leeds, and although residents were expecting some snow, they were not expecting the deluge which arrived.   

According to Mr Stevens, there was up to 10cm in the town centre, up to 15cm at 700ft and as much as 20 to 25cm (10 inches) of snow on higher ground.   

Met Office warnings are based on the level of confidence of the forecast and the impact on the population.  

Click on the link below to view a gallery of reader pictures from today

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Mr Stevens said: “Last Friday the Met Office issued a red alert for 20 to 25cm of snow on the Brecon Beacons, where there are isolated farms and sheep.  

“What was the point of issuing a red alert for a low population area when we have had the same amount of snow –  which was widely forecast –  in an area of high population?  

“In the areas not covered by the amber alert, you have a population in excess of 400,000. It makes you wonder how they could get it so wrong.  

Click below for more reader pictures of the snow

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“If they had issued an amber warning, there would have been greater preparedness by local people and the local authority.  

“Questions should be asked of the Met Office as to why we weren’t warned. As it was, people were waking up not realising how bad the snow was.”  

Two days ago Mr Stevens gave a more accurate picture of the snow which lie ahead for Huddersfield, compared with the Met Office. 

Today he said that he was “very happy” with his forecast.   

He now says  that there will be an end to the easterly winds from Siberia by the weekend, but not before some more snow.

We will then see a return to wet and windy weather, with the possibility of some localised flooding.  

Snowboarding in Greenhead Park? See what people have been up to in the snow in Huddersfield

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Dan Williams, a spokesman for the Met Office, said: "There was a yellow warning out and it does talk about snow in excess of 10cm above 200m.

"I think in this case the yellow warning does cover it. Generally speaking, the amounts of snow were in line with what we forecast.

I don’t see what more we could have done."