Snow, ice and rain are all forecast this weekend (Image: Getty)
As many as 53 UK areas are being told they face snow and rain on Saturday with up to 10-20cm of snow from 4am on Saturday.
The has issued a spate of weather warnings for Saturday including a yellow weather warning for snow and rain for much of the UK, along with a more serious still amber weather warning for parts of Scotland.
Both the and energy supplier British Gas have advice available on preparing for snow storms, with recommendations on what to do and how to make sure you have the right things at home to help cope if the snow does come down and ends up being heavy.
:
Much of the south of England and Wales is being put under a yellow weather warning for heavy rain on Saturday, including all of the South West and the south coast, and all of Wales. That means localised flooding could be possible as well as travel and power disruptions.
In the north of England and in Scotland, a snow and rain warning is in place, as well as part of the Midlands, while in the central and nothern parts of Scotland, it’s wind and snow.
The advises that people should prepare in the event of being cut off due to disruption. It says: “People cope better when they have prepared in advance for the risk of power cuts or being cut off from services and amenities due to the snow. It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items.”
And , in its advice on preparing for heavy snow, says UK households should have at least eight key items ready, including a torch, spare batteries, drinking water, extra blankets and a phone charger.
British Gas says: “It’s a good habit to have at least three days’ worth of food and essentials stored in an easy-to-reach part of your home.
“That’s things like medicines, drinking water, non-perishable food and snacks, and extra blankets. You should also keep a torch, batteries and a phone charger close by too.”
The in its Saturday forecast says: “Heavy snow on Saturday, followed by a rapid thaw and subsequent rain on Saturday night, may cause some disruption.
“Outbreaks of rain will spread northeastwards on Saturday, preceded by a spell of snow across parts of northern England and Scotland. Whilst snow will become increasingly confined to higher elevations with time, there is the chance of a transient period of snow to low levels in some areas, with perhaps as much as 5-10 cm accumulating in places, especially the Vale of York, before turning back to rain. Temporary snow accumulations of 10-20 cm are possible on ground above 150m, with perhaps as much as 20-40 cm above 300m.
“In conjunction with strengthening winds, difficult driving conditions are likely, especially over higher level routes, with possibly some interruptions to power supplies. In addition, the rapid thaw of lying snow as milder air arrives, with perhaps an additional 20-40 mm of rain in some upland areas during Saturday night, will lead to a greater likelihood of rainfall impacts later in the period.”
The full list of 53 areas issued a snow and rain warning by the Met Office on Saturday from 4am is:
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Clackmannanshire
- Falkirk
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
East Midlands
- Derby
- Derbyshire
- Nottingham
- Nottinghamshire
Grampian
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Highland
North East England
- Darlington
- Durham
- Gateshead
- Hartlepool
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Sunderland
North West England
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Cheshire East
- Cumbria
- Greater Manchester
- Lancashire
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
- Dumfries and Galloway
- East Lothian
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian Council
- Scottish Borders
- West Lothian
Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute
- East Ayrshire
- East Dunbartonshire
- East Renfrewshire
- Glasgow
- Inverclyde
- North Ayrshire
- North Lanarkshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
- West Dunbartonshire
West Midlands
- Staffordshire
- Stoke-on-Trent
Yorkshire & Humber
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- North Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire
- York