A three-day snow warning has been issued for almost all of England and Wales and parts of Scotland this weekend as the Met Office has warned rural communities could become cut off.
Schools could potentially be closed and there is a chance of power cuts and road closures as well as delays and cancellations to flights and trains, the Met Office said.
A yellow warning is in place from noon on Saturday until 9am on Monday and covers all regions of England other than the South West, the majority of Wales and parts of southern Scotland.
About 5cm of snow is expected widely across the Midlands, Wales and northern England, with as much as 20-30cm over high ground in Wales and/or the Pennines, the forecaster added.
It comes as strong winds and heavy rain have been battering the UK, with the threat of flooding and disruption to New Year’s Day travel.
A yellow wind warning is in force until 3pm on Wednesday for the majority of England and Wales, as winds of up to 60mph are forecast, with gusts of 75mph likely around coastal areas and hills, according to the Met Office.
The start of London’s New Year’s Day Parade was delayed by 30 minutes due to high winds being forecast, and inflatable cartoon characters were no longer going to be used, event spokesman Dan Kirkby said.
The North West and Wales have seen heavy rain for much of the morning on Wednesday, which comes after the Met Office said some parts of the North West saw almost a month’s worth of rain within 48 hours.
Honister Pass in Cumbria saw nearly 6in (150mm) of rain, while Rochdale in Greater Manchester had 3in (77mm).
And more than 120 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, are in place for England, 11 for Wales and 21 for Scotland.
A snow and ice yellow warning is in place covering northern Scotland until 10am on Thursday, as rain turning to snow is likely to lead to some travel disruption and difficult driving conditions on New Year’s Day, the forecaster added.
Meanwhile, a yellow ice warning has been issued from 4pm on Wednesday until 10am on Thursday, covering Northern Ireland, parts of North Wales, England and Scotland, which could also lead to difficult travel conditions.
