The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for snow and ice across parts of the UK, with up to 30cm of snow possible on higher ground. The yellow warning comes into effect at 6am on New Year's Day (January 1) for parts of Scotland and remains in place until 11.59pm on Thursday (January 2).
Forecasters warn of 'frequent and heavy snow showers' leading to travel disruption. Between 10-20cm of snow could fall in some areas, with 30cm possible on higher ground. Gale-force winds are also expected, causing significant drifting of snow and potential chaos on roads and rail lines.
The Met Office said: 'Showers will turn increasingly to snow through Thursday as a strong, perhaps locally gale force northerly wind sets in. Initially accumulations will mainly affect higher routes, but by evening some accumulations will start to build even to low levels.'
Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued amber cold weather alerts for the North East and North West of England, warning of a likely rise in deaths among elderly and vulnerable people. The amber alerts are in place until January 5, while the rest of England is under yellow alerts.
