Yellow weather warnings for ice and snow will affect 38 areas across England and Scotland over the next two days, with the Met Office urging people to prepare emergency travel kits.
The ice warning remains in place until 10am on Monday, followed by a snow warning on Tuesday between midnight and midday. The warnings cover dozens of areas, and people are advised to plan ahead for potentially difficult conditions.
Emergency travel kit advice
In relation to both warnings, the Met Office said: "Before you head off in winter, it’s best to be prepared. Pack an emergency travel kit. Check your lights and tyres and clear your windscreens of any ice or snow."
The kits should include de-icer spray, an ice-scraper, a torch, spare batteries, a high-vis jacket, spare warm clothes and a blanket. People should also always have a first aid kit, jump start cables, an empty fuel can, water and food, a shovel and a phone backup battery.
Ice warning details
The ice warning states that icy stretches will develop overnight, which are "likely" to lead to difficult driving conditions. Some injuries from slips and falls are also to be expected, the Met Office added.
The warning reads: "An area of rain and hill snow (snow mainly above 200 m but not expected to be impactful) will clear to the southeast tonight with skies then at least partially clearing. This will result in temperatures falling below freezing and some icy stretches developing on untreated surfaces."
It adds: "This is likely to lead to difficult driving conditions. These conditions will probably not develop across northern England and southeast Scotland until the end of the night."
"Across northern Scotland, icy conditions are likely to be exacerbated by some wintry showers, with snow falling to low levels for a time before becoming mainly confined to higher ground late in the night. No more than 1-2 cm is likely at lower levels, with higher ground perhaps seeing up to 4 or 5 cm from these wintry showers."
People have also been urged to leave their homes at least five minutes early to avoid rushing, which could lead to accidents. The ice will mainly affect Scotland, but some areas in northeastern and northwestern England will also be impacted.
The Met Office said: "Whenever you’re planning to travel, don’t be in a rush. During winter months, conditions can be tricky – if you’re running late, it might be tempting go faster than is safe in the conditions. Make the journey as smooth as possible and get there in plenty of time."
Snow warning and affected areas
Fourteen hours after the conclusion of the ice warning, the snow warning will come into place, bringing up to 15cm of snow on high ground. Roads and railways are likely to be affected, and there will also be a "small chance" of power cuts and poor mobile service.
The warning states: "A band of rain is expected to head northwards across the UK through Monday night and Tuesday morning. As it encounters colder air across the highlighted region, it is likely to turn to snow for a time, mainly affecting locations at 100 m altitude or higher."
"Any snow falling below this level will more likely be temporary and quickly melt. Where snow does accumulate, depths of 1-5 cm are likely; some locations above 300-400 m could see 5-15 cm."
"This may cause travel disruption on higher level routes, particularly in combination with a strong easterly wind which could also cause some localised drifting. Some accretion of ice onto infrastructure such as power lines is also a possibility. Snow will gradually turn back to rain both from the south and through the morning on Tuesday."
The full list of 38 areas affected by the ice and snow warnings includes Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Falkirk, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Stirling, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highland, Durham, Cumbria, East Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian Council, Scottish Borders, West Lothian, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Darlington, Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, Blackburn with Darwen, Cheshire East, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, South Ayrshire, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.
