Snow and ice warning in force as flooding expected in more than 70 areas

A yellow weather warning for snow and ice is in force as flooding is expected in more than 70 areas.

A series of warnings expired throughout Saturday, but a snow and ice warning covers most of Scotland and large parts of England until 10am on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Environment Agency has urged the public to remain vigilant amid the ongoing flood risk.

On Saturday night there were 74 flood warnings and 163 flood alerts in place across England.

Jonathan Day, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said more than 24,000 homes and business have been protected but about 330 have been flooded.

The yellow warning for snow and ice stretches from Derby across the majority of Scotland and the Met Office said snow in these areas might be “heavy at times”, adding that this could cause “some disruption to travel”.

They said “accumulations of 1-3cm (of snow) will be possible at low levels, with 3-7cm possible above about 150m elevation, and perhaps 10-15cm above 400m”.

The warning on the Met Office’s website says: “Outbreaks of rain spreading eastwards on Saturday night will fall as snow initially, even to low levels for a time, before becoming confined to higher ground as milder air arrives from the west.”

It adds: “Areas sheltered to the north of high ground may see very little snow.

“Ice will be an additional hazard, particularly across north-east England and parts of Scotland where precipitation has the potential to fall on frozen ground leading to very slippery conditions.

“Snow will turn increasingly to rain into Sunday morning, perhaps as a short spell of freezing rain in places, before eventually clearing to the east with a steady thaw of lying snow then setting in.”

Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said Sunday will begin with a blustery start for many and outbreaks of showery rain with some hill snow.

Milder air will move into the south west and parts of Cornwall and Devon could reach 12C, while it will be about 4C or 5C in the east, he said.

Next week will begin unsettled and blustery with further showers across the whole of the country, which will ease into Tuesday, then another weather system will arrive on Wednesday bringing more unsettled weather, and Thursday is expected to be drier.