Amber severe weather warnings for snow and ice are in force across the UK (Image: Getty)
The has issued a warning over “extremely dangerous” freezing rain as across the UK.
for snow and ice are currently in force for parts of England and Wales this weekend, with up to 40cm of snow expected to fall in areas of Northern England.
says snow will fall on Sunday morning before later turning to rain in central and southern parts of England, while heavy snow will continue to fall throughout the day in the north.
But as the snow turns to rain further south, particularly over Wales, there is a risk of freezing rain, which sees water droplets freeze instantly as it hits the ground causing hazardous conditions on the roads and pavements.
Chief Forecaster Jason Kelly, said: “We have issued a number of severe weather warnings, including Amber warnings for snow and ice in parts of England and Wales.
“Some significant accumulations of snow are possible across parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England in particular, where 5cm or more could accumulate fairly widely, with as much as 20-30cm over high ground of mid and north Wales and potentially 30-40cm over parts of the Pennines. This, accompanied by strengthening winds, may lead to drifting of lying snow.
“There is a risk of freezing rain across parts of the Midlands and northern England, but especially Wales, adding to the risk of ice and leading to some treacherous conditions in places.
“As the supercooled rain droplets hit the surface they instantly freeze, covering everything in a layer of ice, making it extremely dangerous.”
Households are being warned that the snowy and icy conditions could lead to power cuts and mobile phone outages, while some rural communities could become cut off.
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Travel delays and road closures are also likely so people are urged to only drive if it is an essential journey.
If you do drive you should use dipped headlights, accelerate gently, start in second gear to help with wheel slip, use a low gear to go downhill, steer into skids and avoid slamming on brakes.
National Highways Severe Weather Resilience Manager, Darren Clark, said: “If you are travelling this weekend, keep your distance and reduce your speed. Gritters will be out treating our roads around the clock when ice or snow is forecast, but it is still important to drive to the conditions.
“Even in conditions that seem normal and where the snow is not settling you could always experience slippery conditions. Drivers should plan their journeys, check their vehicles, monitor weather reports and pack a snow kit of blankets, food, water and a shovel.”