Three days of snow and ice to hit parts of UK as yellow weather warnings issued

70mph winds are expected to accompany snow showers, the Met Office has warned

Parts of the UK are expected to have a smattering of snow (PA Wire)

Three days of snow and ice are set to hit parts of the UK this week as forecasters issued yellow weather warnings.

The forecast has predicted travel disruption this week during the “frequent snow showers and icy stretches” from Monday to Wednesday.

It comes after a record-breaking 16.3C was measured on New Year’s Day in parts of England.

A yellow warning has been issued for Monday in north Scotland - including Angus, Perth and Inverness. It says icy surfaces could cause treacherous walking conditions and there could be some icy patches on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.

It added that the icy showers would be accompanied by strong winds of up to 60mph, prompting a warning of possible blizzard conditions in the following days.

The weather warning adds: “In combination with winds gusting 50 to 60mph, perhaps 70mph on exposed summits, temporary blizzard conditions and some drifting of snow on higher-level routes is likely.

“Gusts of around 70mph on exposed coasts will generate some large waves and dangerous coastal conditions in a few places.”

Areas above 200 metres could be among the worst affected, with the snowfall possibly reaching 10-15cm in places during the two other weather warnings issued for north Scotland on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Winds could reach as high as 80 mph in Orkney and Caithness later this week. The Met Office has warned that delays to road, air and ferry transport should be expected while there could be some short term loss of power and other services.

High-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges could also face delays while there could be loss of power to some homes and businesses. Coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities have been warned they could be affected by spray and/or large waves

It comes after heavy rain and strong winds hit parts of England and Wales as thunderstorms replaced the record-breaking mild new year weather.

The Met Office, which had issued a weather warning for thunderstorms for Sunday afternoon, said that heavy showers and gusty winds had moved along the south coast. Heavy showery rain also led to tricky driving conditions in the southern Pennines.