Snow and ice trigger rush hour travel warnings from Met Office
Temperatures are expected to drop to -1 C in some places
Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
Snow flurries and plunging temperatures are set to threaten Thursday's commute with large parts of the country covered by warnings of ice.
A wet Wednesday gave way to clearing skies overnight, bringing freezing conditions ideal for a hard frost and icy patches.
Motorists and commuters were urged to take care when on the move, since the Met Office has issued two yellow warnings of ice and a yellow warning of snow that cover most of mainland Britain and Northern Ireland.
Rail operators warned of potential disruption to services and icy platforms, while forecaster Jenna MacGregor said road users should be on the lookout for "slippery surfaces".
She said: "We have a yellow warning for snow covering East Anglia and western parts of Lincolnshire and two ice warnings running on a diagonal from the South West up to Yorkshire in an area encompassing Wales and the Midlands.
"We have another ice warning covering West Scotland and Northern Ireland and they are all out until 10 o'clock.
"There is a band of rain that is moving eastwards that could bring some flurries of snow and sleet, but because that has been moving through overnight there could be some frost and icy patches on untreated roads when skies clear."
Temperatures in the warning zones are expected to drop to around freezing, dipping below to minus -1C (30.2F) in some places.
South West Trains advised customers to watch out for icy platforms and warned there could be disruption to services should ice build up on electric rails - although special de-icer trains were working through the night to clear routes, according to a spokesman.
The warnings are due to stay in place until 10am on Thursday.
PA
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments