UK weather live: Freezing rain to turn to snow across England as Met Office urges travel caution

The Met Office has warned that temperatures are set to increase next week reaching 14 degrees in Belfast and London.

It follows a warning that rare freezing rain could hit parts of northern England along with snow and sleet this weekend, forecasters say.

A yellow snow and ice warning will be in place across the North East, Cumbria and Yorkshire between 6am and 2pm on Saturday, the Met Office said.

Today:

Pulses of rain pushing across the UK, accompanied by hill snow in the east. Potential for icy stretches. Drier and brighter spells across northern Scotland, plus southwest England later. Cold for many, though slightly milder in the far southwest.

Tonight:

Occasional rain and drizzle continuing, mainly in the east with a little hill snow. Fog patches developing under clear spells in the southwest. Drier with some frost across northern Scotland.

Sunday:

A few showers lingering in the east, with further rain into Northern Ireland later. Elsewhere, mainly dry and cloudy. Breezy along coasts. Rather cold, but again milder in the southwest.

Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:

Rain pushing into northern and western regions with some hill snow and possible icy stretches. Drier further south and east with some brighter spells. Often breezy. Slowly turning less cold.

Temperatures are dropping across the UK with snow weather warnings in place.

With this news, many will be thinking about how this chilly weather may affect our pets.

It’s important to prepare our dogs, as well as ourselves, for this forecast.

Read the full article here for all our advice:

The Met Office has warned of a wet morning for many across the UK, with ice and snow in high parts of the country.

Met Office meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: “Through Saturday the rain will move further east and as it does it’ll bump into the colder air, meaning some snow is likely, mainly for parts of northern England, covered by the snow and ice warning.

“Two to five centimetres is possible over the Cheviots and North Yorks Moors, and it’s possible we could see some localised accumulations to lower levels.

“Some freezing rain could affect higher parts of the Pennines for a time too, leading to icy conditions. Some snow is possible outside the warning area, although amounts are likely to be small.”

Temperatures plummeted to nearly -10C yesterday, according to Met Office data.

Sharing the weather extremes from the past day, the forecaster said temperatures Aviemore, in Scotland’s Cairngorms national park, dropped as low as -9.6C

Kinloss, just 35 miles north, saw the most sunshine.

As the UK’s cold snap and gloomy weather are expected to persist through the weekend, focusing on our health has never been more crucial.

The Met Office has warned that parts of the country may experience snow this weekend, with the chilly, overcast conditions continuing into the beginning of next week.

Despite the cold, there are many effective ways to enhance your health and wellbeing during these winter months.

Read the full article here:

Here is the Met Office’s UK forecast for Saturday:

Largely cloudy, cold and fairly breezy with outbreaks of rain. Some snow or freezing rain, chiefly over hills in the north. The far north and southeast seeing the best brightness.

Looking further ahead, the forecaster says:

Mostly cold and cloudy on Sunday and Monday with rain at times, especially in the north and west. Some hill snow. Brightening up from the south on Tuesday. Often breezy.

The National Highways has this advice for driving in snowy or icy conditions:

• Stick to the main roads where you can and only travel if necessary.
• Slow down - it can take 10 times longer to stop in icy conditions.
• Use a high gear - this will help avoid wheel spin.
• Accelerate gently, using low revs. You may need to take off in second gear to avoid skidding.
• You may need up to 10 times the normal gap between your car and the car in front.
• Try not to brake suddenly – it may lock up your wheels and you could skid further.
• Be extra cautious at road junctions where road markings may not be visible.

The weight of the ice that encases surfaces as a result of the phenomenon of freezing rain can sometimes be heavy enough to bring down trees and power lines – and the glaze of ice on the ground effectively turns roads and pathways into an ice rink, according to the Met Office.

It can also prove extremely hazardous for aircraft, with the chance of icicles forming across the wings of an airplane.

The ice is very clear, often referred to as black ice, because it is so difficult to see, making it treacherous for pedestrians and drivers.

As the super-cooled rain droplets hit the surface they instantly freeze, covering everything in a layer of ice, making it extremely dangerous.