A NEW 18-hour amber warning for snow and ice has been issued by the Met Office has sub-zero temperatures sweep across the UK.

Somerset and large swathes of England are already gripped by a yellow warning for heavy snow and freezing rain which will be in place from 12pm tomorrow until 11.59pm on Sunday (January 5).

But Met Office forecasters have heightened the weather alert for locations north of Bath and South Gloucestershire to amber from 6pm tomorrow until 12pm on Sunday. The Met Office warns there is a “good chance power cuts may occur” with travel delays likely leaving “some vehicles and passengers stranded.”

There is also a risk communities in the worst affected areas could become cut off and delays and cancellations to bus, rail and air travel are also expected.

Met Office Chief Forecaster Jason Kelly said: “This weekend will bring a range of weather hazards to the UK, notable snow accumulations, freezing rain, ice and heavy rain as well as some gusty conditions.

“We have issued a number of severe weather warnings, including Amber warnings for snow and ice in parts of England and Wales. Some significant accumulations of snow are possible across parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England in particular, where 5 cm or more could accumulate fairly widely, with as much as 20-30 cm over high ground of mid and north Wales and potentially 30-40 cm over parts of the Pennines. This, accompanied by strengthening winds, may lead to drifting of lying snow.”

Met Office forecasters have heightened the weather alert for locations north of Bath and South Gloucestershire to amber from 6pm tomorrow until 12pm on Sunday.
Met Office forecasters have heightened the weather alert for locations north of Bath and South Gloucestershire to amber from 6pm tomorrow until 12pm on Sunday. (Met Office forecasters have heightened the weather alert for locations north of Bath and South Gloucestershire to amber from 6pm tomorrow until 12pm on Sunday.)

Five day forecast for the South West

Today: A cold, crisp and frosty start to the day with plenty of sunshine. Patchy cloud developing but staying dry with lengthy sunny periods. Winds staying light but remaining cold. Maximum temperature 6 °C.

Tonight: Dry this evening and overnight with clear spells. Temperatures quickly falling to give a widespread frost and isolated freezing fog patches under the light winds. Minimum temperature -2 °C.

Saturday: A dry and cold start but turning increasingly unsettled with rain, sleet and snow pushing in from the southwest through the afternoon accompanied by stronger winds. Maximum temperature 9 °C.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday: Turning milder but often cloudy on Sunday with outbreaks of rain at times. Becoming drier and colder on Monday and Tuesday with sunny spells and scattered wintry showers.