Weather: Snow On The Way As Britain Shivers

A light dusting of snow is expected to fall across parts of the country tonight with up to 4cm forecast to fall in some areas.

Upland areas such as the Pennines, the North Yorkshire Moors and north east Scotland, could be blanketed in white by tomorrow.

Temperatures are expected to plummet to a freezing -5C tonight leaving icy conditions on the roads which are expected to last until Sunday afternoon.

The Met Office has issued a Level 3 severe weather alert, triggered when social and healthcare services are required to target specific assistance to high-risk groups such as the vulnerable and elderly.

Sky's weather forecaster, Chris England, said: "A band of showers spreading from north-west Scotland to north Wales and the north Midlands overnight will bring a centimetre or two of snow to the mountains, and perhaps a light dusting to lower levels of northern England later as temperatures fall to freezing and below.

"There's a small chance of some snow across central England and Wales for a time tomorrow morning, especially over the highest ground, but most places, if they get wet at all, will see rain.

"Icy surfaces forming where the showers leave the ground wet will be a bigger problem tonight and early tomorrow".

On Sunday, a rain-band spreading from the west will bring a spell of snow to northern hills, and perhaps to some lower levels for a time, but the snow won't amount to a great deal away from the Scottish peaks and will mostly turn to rain quite rapidly.

The wintry weather is in contrast to the torrential rain and floods have caused havoc in some parts of the Midlands and in North Wales.