Snow expected to fall across Britain as cold snap arrives

Snow is expected to fall across the country this weekend as plummeting temperatures usher in a cold snap (AP)

Snow is expected to fall across the country this weekend as plummeting temperatures usher in a cold snap.

After a relatively mild Christmas period, forecasters said the next few days will see the mercury drop to minus 6C in some places, with north Wales, north east England and Scotland among the coldest spots.

Up to four inches of snow is set to fall in some parts of the country, prompting the Met Office to issue a "yellow" warning of severe weather for the whole of southern England. Wales and the Midlands will be the first to see the snow today, with Northern Ireland and Scotland seeing heavy sleet on Sunday.

The Met Office also issued a snow warning for the whole country on Monday, when most areas can expect a two-inch covering.

John Lee, a forecaster with Meteogroup, said temperatures were likely to remain low, reaching a minimum of minus 4C in some areas tonight (SATURDAY). He said: "It will be very cold over the weekend and will be staying cold into next week, with temperatures quite widely not getting above 4C during the day."

The cold snap was expected to bring widespread ice, prompting the AA to place a severe weather team on standby.