UK snow forecast: Met Office issues weather warnings as freezing conditions sweep country and temperatures fall

‘Snow, ice, frost are going to be quite prevalent,’ say forecasters

Britain is bracing for heavy snow, sleet and ice after the Met Office issued two yellow weather warnings for the next few days.

Snow showers will develop in the northwest on Monday night, and by Tuesday a band of rain, sleet and snow will move eastwards across the country.

A yellow weather warning for “possibly heavy snow” is in place for London and the southeast, from Tuesday night to Wednesday lunchtime.

The Met Office said there was a chance of travel disruption in the southeast and a small risk of power cuts, triggered by the freezing weather.

The weather experts warned rural communities should take particular care, as they are at risk of becoming cut off.

The snow in eastern England is likely to clear on Wednesday, but around 1cm to 3cm is expected to accumulate “quite widely”, the Met Office said, with the possibility of 5cm to 10cm falling on higher ground.

“It’s a case of normal wintry hazards that we would expect – snow, ice, frost are going to be quite prevalent over the next few days,” said forecaster Ellie Creed.

Temperatures may fall to -2C in London and Manchester on Tuesday, with conditions likely to be colder outside of major cities.

A yellow weather warning for ice is also in place until Monday lunchtime for Scotland.

Temperatures will further plummet in early February, with snow showers continuing across the country next week.

The Met Office said there was a chance of “disruptive snow” in the coming days but added that the forecast was still uncertain.

The freezing temperatures follow a wintry weekend that left parts of Wales without electricity on Sunday after overhead cables fell.

Additional reporting by agencies