UK weather forecast: Met Office warns of heavy snow as yellow warnings issued across Britain

Tuesday set for heaviest snowfall of winter so far 'for most people'

The heaviest snowfall of winter so far is expected to hit the UK as the Met Office issued a string of warnings that ice and snow could disrupt travel and cause injuries.

Yellow-level warnings cover most of the country on Tuesday as forecasters predicted up to 4in of snow on higher ground following overnight temperatures as low as -7C.

There is a risk of disruptive snow and ice throughout the week with an even stronger weather formation feared on Thursday.

Tuesday will be the heaviest snow of winter so far for most people, meteorologist Alex Burkill told The Independent, with more than 10cm “quite easily” possible in the north-west of England. “We’ve got this front pushing across the UK and there’s sleet and snow mixed into that.”

Through Tuesday morning, a band of rain will push from west to east which could fall as rain, sleet or snow, particularly at peaks in Wales and northern England and Scotland.

As the day progresses, wintry weather will pass across the Midlands and into the south east.

Snow showers could return on Wednesday and there is a risk of further disruptive snow and ice to parts of the country towards the end of the week.

More than 5cm could fall in East Anglia and Kent from about 8pm on Tuesday, while “in parts of Wales and southwest England there’s a chance of some hefty showers” with Devon and Cornwall potentially waking up to a carpet of snow on Wednesday morning, Mr Burkill said.

“Tomorrow we will continue to see some wintry showers across the north and west but they will die out as we go through the day,” he added.

Snowfall on Thursday “has the potential to be more disruptive than today’s” as an incoming weather formation hovers on a “knife edge” of temperature, Mr Burkill said. A couple of degrees warmer will see it bring rain instead of snow and sleet, he said.

The front could bring “significant snow” meaning that “it has the potential that it could be quite disruptive”.

In its warnings the Met Office said that “some roads and railways [are] likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services” due to the cold weather, injuries possible from slips and falls on icy surfaces.

Additional reporting by PA