Snow warning for parts of northern England

A yellow weather warning has been issued for snow and ice for parts of northern England next week.

Up to 20cm of snow is possible on higher ground on Monday and Tuesday, with a small chance of up to 10cm of snow settling at lower levels, which could prove disruptive, the Met Office said.

The warning covers much of southern Scotland and the North East, as well as parts of the North West, including Lancashire and Cumbria.

It will be in force from 10am on Monday until 10am on Tuesday.

A separate warning for snow and ice is in place in northern Scotland from 4pm on Sunday until 11am on Monday.

The cold front comes after weeks of mild, above-average temperatures and is likely to reach all parts of the UK by the middle of next week.

Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge said: “It’s going to get colder over the coming days – it’s still pretty mild in the south but there is a cold front that will be sinking south across northern parts of the UK.

“There’s going to be some wintriness in the hills, for example, tonight and into tomorrow.

“That’s all at quite high levels – Scottish mountains, Lake District maybe.

“Then we get into our warning period for snow and ice.”

The weather could cause issues on the roads and railways, with longer journey times by road, bus and train services.

The Met Office has also warned of the possibility of icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.

Mr Madge said the cold spell would still be “largely sunny”, with “clear sunny spells”.

“Technically and meteorologically, we are not in winter yet,” he added. “It’s still late autumn as for meteorologists winter begins in December – but this is the first really cold spell of the season so far.”

Forecasters say the change in the weather is a result of low pressure moving in.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Rebekah Hicks said: “Temperatures will drop as a northerly airflow develops, bringing in colder Arctic air.

“This introduces the possibility of snow, initially over high ground in the north from Sunday, with gusty winds also a potential hazard.”

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