More snow has been forecast for the weekend after an Arctic blast brought the “first taste of winter for many” and the Met Office issued new weather warnings.
A yellow weather warning for frequent snow showers and possible hail is in place in many parts of north and west Scotland until midday on Thursday.
Between 2cm and 5cm (up to 2in) of snow is expected in many areas and it could reach 10cm in some parts of the north-west mainland, and 15-20cm (up to 7.9in) on higher ground, the Met Office said.
A yellow warning for ice has been posted from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday morning in most of Scotland, the East and West Midlands, east, north-east and north-west England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Yorkshire.
Parts of south-west England have also received a new yellow warning for snow between 5am and 3pm on Thursday, with 5-10cm predicted in higher parts of Dartmoor.
Heavy snow is expected on Saturday followed by a “rapid thaw” and rain on Saturday night in north-east and north-west England, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and much of Scotland. New yellow warnings for rain have also been published, covering Saturday to Sunday morning in south-west England and Wales.
The Met Office spokesperson Andrea Bishop said: “A deep area of low pressure is expected to bring a spell of prolonged and, at times, heavy rainfall across a large part of the UK this weekend. Across south-west England, rain is expected to develop during Saturday morning with heavier rain likely later in the day and overnight into early Sunday morning.
“Fifty to 75mm of rain is expected to fall fairly widely during this time with a chance that some places over Dartmoor could see 100-125mm. Strong southerly winds will accompany the heavy rain and may locally exacerbate impacts.”
The RAC said on Wednesday that drivers are suddenly facing “some of the worst road conditions we’ve seen all year”, as North Yorkshire police reported the A169 Sleights to Whitby, A171 Fylingdales, A171 north of Whitby and A174 Whitby towards Guisborough were all impassable.
The RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “The first taste of winter means drivers are suddenly contending with the some of the worst road conditions we’ve seen all year.
“With freezing temperatures already causing disruption in the east and north of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and snow showers now affecting regions further south, we advise motorists to plan well as ice forms on untreated surfaces.”
On Tuesday, more than 200 school closures were reported, in addition to travel disruptions for many commuters in Aberdeenshire after a Stagecoach bus toppled on its side in icy conditions.
“We’ve had a fairly mild November so far,” the Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon told the PA Media news agency previously. “So it’ll feel like that first taste of winter for many with that snow and ice risk layered on top.”
The coldest temperature was recorded at Braemar village in Aberdeenshire, at -11.2C, according to the forecaster.
The UK Health Security Agency also issued its first amber cold weather health alert of the season, warning conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including elderly people.
