Storm Deirdre brings icy conditions to UK roads on major Christmas shopping day

Weather warnings due to expire on Sunday after storm brought travel disruption and power cuts to many parts of country

Motorists have been warned of icy conditions on the roads in parts of the country after Storm Deirdre swept through the UK bringing freezing rain, high winds and snow.

A yellow weather warning for snow and ice remains in place on Sunday morning in Scotland and the north of England.

Improved conditions and temperatures are expected as Sunday goes on, although some ran and wind will persist.

Temperatures are expected to return to between 6-10C in most parts of the country, climbing to double figures in the South West.

Storm Deirdre hit one of the last major shopping days before Christmas, bringing travel disruption and power cuts to many parts of the country.

Wind speeds reached up to 73mph, the maximum recorded in the Scottish Highlands, the Met Office said.

Up to 50cm of snow fell in the Scottish highlands and more than 1,000 homes in Scotland and Wales lost power.

A rare weather phenomenon, freezing rain, led to the rapid build up of very slippery ice glazes in some parts of the country that pose a risk to drivers and pedestrians.

Several crashes were reported between junctions 15 and 17 of the M74 in southern Scotland.

(PA/David Cheskin)

Police in Dumfries tweeted that multiple vehicles had crashed on Saturday morning, adding: "It appears the freezing rain may have arrived on the motorway."

At Manchester Airport, videos on YouTube showed planes forced to abort landing due to strong winds.

Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: "Everywhere will be drier and much less windy on Sunday.

"Just be wary if you are heading out early, there could be some icy stretches in the north-east of England and Scotland.

The A66 near Brough in Cumbria is closed due to "adverse cold weather creating dangerous road conditions" as heavy snow, gales and "rare" freezing rain sweep parts of the country (PA)

"Other than that, just be aware if you are in England and Wales, there could be spells of rain and wind in the afternoon.

"If you didn't head out to the shops yesterday, you could get most of it done today."

The cold weather is being triggered by an active low-pressure system coming in from the Atlantic.

Storm Deirdre's arrival was also a blow to retailers on what should have been a major pre-Christmas shopping day.

Saturday footfall across UK high streets was down by 9.1 per cent by 3pm on a similar day last year, retail intelligence firm Springboard reported.

Wet, windy and mild conditions are forecast across the UK over the next week, with showers most frequent in the West and hail and thunder possible.

Additional reporting by PA