UK weather forecast: London set for weekend washout as temperatures plummet across Britain

Londoners are bracing for a wet weekend as temperatures plummet across the UK.

The capital is set for a rainy evening on Saturday, with highs of no more than 5C expected throughout the day.

Sunday is set to be much the same, according to the Met Office, with a dry start to the day before the wet weather sets in later in the evening, peaking at around 9C.

A Met Office spokesman said: "It's looking like it will be a fairly wet weekend over all but hopefully that will perk up by Monday, when we'd hope to reach double figures with highs of 13C.

"Across other parts of the UK, we will see temperatures drop below freezing and snowfall of 10-15cm will be seen in west and central areas of Scotland."

Ice is expected to form in some areas of North East England overnight on Friday.

Moving further north, heavy snow is set to cause traffic disruption for motorists caught in tricky driving conditions as officials warned some rural communities could be cut off.

Police urged people only to travel if absolutely necessary in areas covered by amber snow and ice warnings.

Officers said there was a "high risk" of disruption and delays on the roads in areas covered by the alert, which is valid until 10pm on Friday.

Rush hour saw delays on the M74 and travel officers are warning other routes across the country could face difficulties over the coming days.

A Met Office "be prepared" amber warning covers Tayside, Fife, central and southern Scotland and Strathclyde.

It warns of heavy snow showers with up to 12 inches (30cm) possible over the highest routes, and up to four inches (10cm) at lower levels.

Forecasters said there is a chance of power cuts, while some rural communities may be cut off.

Additional reporting by Press Association