UK weather: Snow forecast for large parts of the country this weekend

23 January 2021, 17:19 | Updated: 24 January 2021, 06:56

Dog jumps for joy as snow descends

Snow has already begun to fall in some parts of the UK, with yellow warnings for snow and ice in place across much of the country on Sunday.

Most of Wales, north west Scotland and the south of England, including London, could see snow, which has already begun falling in Cambridgeshire.

Snow and ice weather warnings are in place from the Met Office, with the possibility of travel delays and that “some rural communities could become cut off”.

Forecasters at the Met Office say the “cold conditions are forecast to remain across the UK until Tuesday”.

Chief Forecaster Steve Willington said: “The exit of Storm Christoph – which brought the heavy rain to a central band of the UK – has established a flow of colder air from Iceland and the Arctic. And this is bringing a mix of wintry hazards across the UK.

“In clearer conditions, overnight ice will remain a hazard, while a band of snow is likely to bring falls of 1-3cm quite widely across central areas of the UK, particularly the Cotswolds and higher ground in the East Midlands on Sunday. But snow outside these areas is also a potential hazard.”

While the snow will be welcomed by many stuck indoors during the lockdown, there are concerns some areas already hit by Storm Christoph may see more flooding next week.

Forecaster Chris Tubbs said from Tuesday the UK may see more wet weather, adding: “Once the certainty increases about which areas are most likely to be affected by potentially heavy rain, we may need to issue further warnings, especially if next week’s rainfall is likely to compound the impacts from this week.”

As of Saturday afternoon there were 80 flood warnings in place - particularly along the River Ouse, Severn and Trent - requiring immediate action as flooding is expected.

Thousands evacuated from homes due to Storm Christoph flooding

The Environment Agency is warning that river levels remain “exceptionally high” across England, with 500 properties already flooded so far.

Provisional figures show Honister, in Cumbria, received 123.8mm of rain on Tuesday, a new daily rainfall record for this winter.

Figures also show parts of Cleveland, in North Yorkshire, received more than their average January rainfall in just a 48 hours.

Dan Bond, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “There is a chance of localised flooding of land and roads across parts of the North West of England on Tuesday due to further rain.

“We urge people to keep away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car. ”