Snow falls as Britain faces 'bitterly cold' weekend

Updated

Parts of the UK have seen a flurry of snow as Britain prepares for a "bitterly cold" weekend.

Snow started to fall as far south as Eastbourne, East Sussex, with downland at Beachy Head seeing a light dusting on Saturday morning. Parts of Kent, including Tunbridge Wells, and Essex have also seen snowfall.

Snowy showers were also reported in parts of Scotland, Wales, northern England and the Midlands as the Met Office confirmed that a band of rain, sleet and snow had worked its way south across many parts of the UK.

A Met Office spokesman said the snow has not settled in most areas and will turn back to rain as the day develops.

At around 3am, North Yorkshire Police tweeted: "Snow is falling and settling in places." The force advised motorists to allow extra time for journeys.

Cumbria Police tweeted a warning to drivers to take care on the roads, while South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service issued a reminder to ensure snow and ice are removed from windscreens and mirrors.

Despite the "bitterly cold" temperatures, which could be as low as minus 3C in some areas tonight, in many parts of the UK the snow and rain will clear to leave a day of clear blue skies and sunshine, according to the Met Office.

But the western coast will see further showers coming and going throughout the day, many of which will be wintry across higher ground.

Snow is largely unexpected for Saturday night but there is an ice risk for Sunday morning as a result of the night's frosty conditions.

The Met Office said Sunday will be another cold but sunny day and added that there will be further showers on the coastal areas throughout the day.

A spokesman said: "It will still be cold tomorrow but perhaps not as cold as it feels on Saturday because the winds will be just that little bit lighter."

There will be a return of milder air from the Atlantic next week, which will cut off this weekend's Arctic chill but will bring showers across the country.

Billy Payne, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said: "It will be a cold day, especially by recent standards, but even by the November average it will be cold."

The cold snap comes in marked contrast to the recent mild weather which led to it being the second mildest start to November on record.

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