UK weather: Snow and ice warning issued for parts of UK

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice across parts of the UK.

The warning - from 10am on Monday until 10am on Tuesday next week - covers much of southern Scotland and north-east England, parts of Yorkshire, and parts of north-west England, including Lancashire and Cumbria.

A separate warning for snow and ice is also in place across northern Scotland from 4pm on Sunday until 11am on Monday.

Meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: "Significant changes are on the way for the UK's weather over the weekend."

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Up to 20cm of snow is possible on higher ground on Monday and Tuesday, the Met Office said, with a chance of up to 10cm settling at lower levels, which could prove disruptive.

"Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly," the forecaster warned.

Spells of rain, hail, sleet and snow are forecast over the three days, making driving conditions dangerous.

It will also turn colder with temperatures plunging overnight causing ice to form on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths, the Met Office said, as it warned about the likelihood of "injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces".

It urged people to plan their journeys on foot or by transport - and to give themselves plenty of time to arrive at their destinations.

Power cuts, delayed or cancelled bus and train services, and road closures are also likely - while some rural communities could be cut off.

Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge said: "It's going to get colder over the coming days - it's still pretty mild in the south but there is a cold front that will be sinking south across northern parts of the UK.

"There's going to be some wintriness in the hills, for example, tonight and into tomorrow.

"That's all at quite high levels - Scottish mountains, Lake District maybe.

"Then we get into our warning period for snow and ice."

Mr Madge said the cold spell would still be "largely sunny", with "clear sunny spells".

"Technically and meteorologically, we are not in winter yet," he said.

"It's still late autumn as for meteorologists winter begins in December - but this is the first really cold spell of the season so far."

The wintry weather comes after weeks of mild, above-average temperatures.

It also follows a period of high pressure at the start of November which locked much of the country in a cycle of fog, drizzle and low cloud for nearly two weeks.

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Many areas saw no sunshine at all - and "anticyclonic gloom" was blamed for the dreary conditions.

This is when high pressure traps a layer of moisture near to the Earth's surface and that brings a prolonged period of dull and cloudy weather, with pockets of mist and fog as well.

Forecasters say the change in the weather during the next few days and into next week is a result of low pressure moving in.

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