Britain braced for more snow as cold weather expected until 'at least' Tuesday

4 December 2020, 20:54 | Updated: 5 December 2020, 12:23

Britain's cold snap is likely to persist until at least Tuesday, forecasters say, with more snow expected in Scotland and Wales.

Following a cold night on Friday night, it is expected to be very cold again from Saturday night into Sunday morning, with temperatures dropping to -10C in northern Scotland.

This would bring it close to becoming the coldest night of the year, which is still -10.2C, recorded at Braemar in Aberdeenshire on February 13.

Forecasters predict Saturday will be cold and cloudy, with eastern areas seeing showers later with the chance of light snow on higher ground.

There is also the chance of "some dense freezing fog patches in places" on Sunday morning, according to the Met Office.

READ MORE: 'Thundersnow' hits Scotland and more falls in England overnight

However, the forecaster is warning heavy rain is the main risk for the weekend, with 11 flood alerts in place across England in the early hours of Saturday, covering Marlborough, Salisbury, Southampton and parts of Winchester.

Steven Keates, an operational meteorologist at the Met Office, said those areas had seen the heaviest rainfall on Saturday morning of about 25 to 30mm.

The yellow warning indicates a risk of flooding to some homes and businesses while public transport services may be disrupted.

A yellow weather warning is also in place for rain in parts of north-east Scotland covering Inverness and Aberdeen, where up to 40mm was previously forecast to fall.

Trains and trams have been disrupted in Scotland, with tram lines in Edinburgh overrun by flooding.

Edinburgh Trams say their engineers are working to pump out excess water, but with nearby rivers already at capacity they added "this is having little impact".

The Met Office says there is a high chance the north-east of England, north-west of England and Yorkshire and the Humber regions will be gripped by cold weather until "at least" Tuesday evening.

The forecasters say snow and strong winds can be expected across the northeast on Tuesday, with overnight frosts and morning fog patches across the UK.

Meteorologist Bonnie Diamond said: "December has got off to a much colder start than last month, with widespread low temperatures bringing the risk of frost, ice and wintry weather across the country.

"With temperatures generally limited to between 4 to 7C by day and falling widely below freezing overnight, a cold weather alert has been issued covering much of northern England and will remain in place until at least next Tuesday."

It comes after parts of the UK saw the first significant snowfall of the winter on Friday.

Snow, sleet and rain fell across a broad swathe of Scotland and northern England, causing disruption across many areas.

Some areas of South Lanarkshire in Scotland saw up to 13cm of snow, with temperatures falling below -9C overnight.

People in Scotland alerted police after hearing what turned out to be "thundersnow" - thunderstorms formed in wintry conditions that bring heavy downpours of snow along with thunder and lightning.

A dusting of snow also lay over Kent and spread northward over the wealds and downs of south-east England.

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With a risk of severe cold weather across parts of the country, Public Health England (PHE) is encouraging people to stay warm and look out for those most at-risk.

Dr Owen Landeg, of PHE, said: "Cold weather isn't just uncomfortable, it can be bad for your health."

PHE is telling people to keep warm and heat their homes to at least 18C, particularly if someone in the household has reduced mobility, is 65 and over or has a health condition, such as heart or lung disease.

Dr Landeg added: "Looking out for others at this time is also really important. Remember to check on frail or older neighbours or relatives, especially those living alone or who have serious illnesses, remembering Covid-19 social distancing, to make sure they are safe, warm and well."