Met Office warnings EXTENDED: Freezing ice and snow to smash UK in chilling blast tonight
THE MET OFFICE has extended its weather warnings today with a new alert for ice across much of the country. Express.co.uk has the latest forecast and weather maps.
UK weather: Met Office forecast snow and wintry showers
Thousands of people woke up to more snow this morning as the wintry weather conditions continue. Weather forecasters say there is even more unsettled weather to come, with some warning of a return of the 2018 Beast from the East - bringing with it the potential for a major snow event. For now though, temperatures have plummeted and could fall to -1C in parts of Scotland today while the mercury is not forecast to go above 4C elsewhere in the UK.
As the wintry weather continues, the Met Office has now issued a yellow warning for ice for a swathe of Scotland and the north east of England.
The warning for ice read: “Icy patches are expected to develop, especially on untreated surfaces, where snow has been melting on Sunday and where frequent showers occur through the night.
“Further hill snow is also possible above 200-300m, though less extensively than last night.”
The yellow warning is in effect from 6pm on Sunday night to 11am on Monday morning.
READ MORE: BBC Weather warning: Europe battered by 'nasty and significant snow'
You can find a full list of areas affected at the bottom of this article, or click here to see the Met Office warning.
This latest alert comes after Saturday saw a snow and ice warning in effect for much of England.
And the snowy conditions are expected to continue long into next week, with freezing fog, frost and ice risks forecast.
Meteorologist Alex Burkill said: "Obviously it's very cold and it's going to stay cold through this week.
"Whilst there will be some wintry hazards around, it's not really until the end of the week until we see any significant snow."
Monday to Wednesday will see chilling temperatures, especially in the south, while parts of Scotland will freeze with temperatures expected to be as low as -5C.
Later into the week and the weekend, the Met Office forecast says conditions "are likely to turn more widely unsettled with a mixture of rain, sleet and snow for many parts of the UK".
The forecast adds: "Overnight frosts and icy stretches are also expected with temperatures below average.
"A chance that by the middle of January conditions may become a little less cold and unsettled for a time at least across the south, although wintry hazards are still possible in many areas."
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Bookies have backed the forecasters, making it odds on the UK will see plenty of snow flurries to mark the start of 2021.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: "The Beast from the East is back again and there's every chance we see record-breaking snow fall across the UK this winter with the white stuff seemingly ready to make its way to London this week."
The firm has the following odds:
- Snow to fall in London this week - 1/4
- Record snow to fall for January - 6/4
- Winter 2021 to be coldest on record - 4/6
- Coldest January on record - 7/4
- Snow to fall in the UK on every day in January - 20/1
Regions and local authorities affected:
- Angus
- Clackmannanshire
- Dundee
- Falkirk
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
- Derby
- Derbyshire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Nottingham
- Nottinghamshire
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
- Darlington
- Durham
- Gateshead
- Hartlepool
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- North Tyneside
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- South Tyneside
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Sunderland
- Cumbria
- East Lothian
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian Council
- Scottish Borders
- West Lothian
- East Dunbartonshire
- East Renfrewshire
- Glasgow
- North Lanarkshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Lanarkshire
- West Dunbartonshire
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- Kingston upon Hull
- North East Lincolnshire
- North Lincolnshire
- North Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire
- York