Three days of heavy snow forecast across UK
Much of the UK could see three days of snow as temperatures plummet across the country.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow across all of England and Wales and parts of Scotland this weekend, with the icy weather expected to continue until Monday.
This means there is a risk of rural communities being cut off, schools closed, power outages and widespread travel disruptions.
Days ago, strong winds and heavy rain battered much of the UK, causing widespread flooding in northwest England.
The snowfall warning starts at noon on Saturday and lasts until 09:00 GMT on Monday, covering all areas of England except the south-west, most of Wales and parts of southern Scotland.
Around 5cm of snow is expected to fall in the Midlands, Wales and northern England over the weekend, with up to 20-30cm expected in Wales and the Pennine Highlands. There may also be some drifting if there are strong winds.
Parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland may also see some damaging snowfall. In southern England, any snowfall may turn to rain as milder air temporarily arrives.
Temperatures will start to drop on Wednesday night, with some parts of the country expected to experience icy conditions on Thursday morning, with snow expected in Scotland.
The weather will become increasingly bitter by Thursday as arctic air reaches all parts of the UK, with sunny spells and wintry showers paving the way for widespread snow throughout the weekend.
BBC weather chief presenter Ben Rich warned that snowfall is notoriously difficult to predict and warnings may be revised closer as confidence grows in the data behind them.
“Small changes in temperature or low pressure track could mean an area will see rain or sleet instead of snow,” he said.
The warnings come after many Brits’ New Year celebrations were punctuated by heavy rain and widespread flooding, including across Greater Manchester. Major events announced on New Year’s Day.
Affected places include Bolton, Didsbury, South Manchester, Haupsey, North Manchester, Stalybridge, Stockport and Wigan.
In Cheshire, the banks of the Bridgewater Canal collapsed and water poured into fields around Little Bollington, leading to road closures and the evacuation of properties.
Around 90mm of rain fell across widespread areas of north-west England in the past 24 hours, with some hills in north Wales and Cumbria receiving more than 100mm.
In London, New Year’s Day parades were briefly postponed due to high winds and brief periods of heavy rain in the capital.
You can always keep up to date with the latest developments BBC online weather forecast And on the app.
