UK weather: Forecasts say snow and ice on way - as Met Office warnings issued and power cuts possible

Yellow weather warnings have been issued for snow and ice in large parts of the UK - amid the threat of lightning strikes that could cause some homes to lose power.

The Met Office expects "frequent sleet, hail and snow showers" as part of an alert in place from 8pm on Thursday until 11am on Friday.

Up to 10cm of snow could fall on the highest ground, with risks posed by dangerous icy patches and lightning strikes from isolated thunderstorms.

The warning affects Northern Ireland and Glasgow, stretching along the east of Scotland and into the north of England beyond Manchester.

The alert also includes the Highlands and Islands, Central, Tayside and Fife, the south-west, Strathclyde, Lothian and Borders.

Two more yellow warnings

Two other warnings for snow have been issued which are set to disrupt roads and span the Highlands, through Glasgow and Edinburgh, and the north of England.

Many areas will see one to two hours of snow, leading to difficult travel conditions.

On higher routes, strong winds could lead to drifting and temporary blizzard conditions.

The alerts are in place from 10am to 4pm on Thursday.

Freezing temperatures

Grahame Madge, a spokesperson for the Met Office, said: "As conditions get cold tonight, we're seeing temperatures drop down to freezing quite widely.

"As we get the cold air, that will bring the temperatures right down, we've got the weather front coming in from the west and that moisture is going to bump into the cold air and where you get that you will get snow."

In the early hours of Thursday temperatures could feel as cold as -4C in Glasgow, while in Edinburgh they could be as low as -3C.

In Braemar, Aberdeenshire, the mercury could plummet to -8C in the morning, with windy conditions making it feel more like -11C.

In Inverness, the northernmost city in the country, temperatures will feel as low as -4C and it will remain bitterly cold throughout the day.

Traffic Scotland is urging people to drive carefully given the risk of ice.

Health warning

The UK Health Security Agency extended its cold weather alert for the whole of England.

Agostinho Sousa, a consultant in public health medicine at the agency, urged the public to "check on those who are more vulnerable to cold weather, including older neighbours or relatives", reminding them to heat their home to at least 18C.

If people cannot heat all the rooms they use, they are advised to heat the living room during the day and the bedroom just before going to sleep.

Milder conditions are forecast going into the weekend, with rain expected widely.