Brits are set for dense fog and frost for Friday morning before snow starts to fall over the weekend in a cold blast from the east.
It was a foggy day for the south west of England on Thursday and the there is now a yellow warning from the Met Office for more today which will cover a wider area and stretch up to the north east of England.
The warning, in place until 11am, states: “Area of fog will bring some difficult travel conditions on Friday morning.”
People are told to expect: “Slower journey times with delays to bus and train services possible. There is a chance of delays or cancellations to flights.”
It will also be a cold start to the morning with temperatures dropping to 1C in the south west and they will be in low single figures for much of the country, while during the day it may not rise above 5C in central England where the fog is thickest.
Met Office forecaster Aidan McGivern said: “Some clear spells present across southern and central parts of the UK will lead to fog patches forming in these locations and some frost forming but more widespread dense fog, mist, low cloud that we’ve seen through central parts will just spread a bit further overnight leading to widespread poor visibility first thing.”
An easterly breeze will lift the fog as the day progresses and over the weekend this will be stronger bringing rain and snow over higher ground.
Heavier snow is then expected over the coming weeks with maps from WXCharts showing there could be over 50 centimetres falling by mid-December.
It will be a cold weekend with temperatures feeling like 1C or 2C during the day on Sunday.
Mr McGivern said: "Daytime maximum temperatures on Sunday for example 4C to 7C but when you add on the wind, it’s going to feel even colder than that with temperatures feeling more like 1C to 2C.
"But it is those temperatures on the thermometers which are important when it comes to snow and it looks like they won’t be quite low enough for snow at lower levels. There will be plenty of showers around though on Friday, Saturday and Sunday - those showers becoming more and more frequent as that easterly wind picks up moisture over the North Sea.
"Through the weekend and the start of next week it looks most likely that snow will be falling above 400 metres, so for the Welsh mountains, the Pennines, the Scottish mountains, perhaps some higher ground in the south as well.
"Mostly it is hill snow, you wouldn’t entirely discount snow to lower levels than the 400 metres if we get some persistent wet weather."
UK 5 day weather forecast
Today:
Low cloud and fog patches in the south slowly lifting from the east as a chilly northeasterly wind develops, bringing sunny spells but also a few showers. Cloudier with patchy rain or drizzle at times across Scotland.
Tonight:
Mild with cloud and patchy rain across NW Scotland. Elsewhere some clear spells but showers continuing to affect some eastern parts. Patchy frost developing away from eastern coastal areas.
Saturday:
Rain and drizzle persisting across northwest Scotland. Elsewhere variable cloud and sunny intervals, best in the west. Scattered showers affecting North Sea coastal areas. Feeling chilly in the northeasterly breeze.
Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:
Remaining rather cold and often cloudy, with the best clear spells and sunshine likely in sheltered western areas. A few isolated showers that will be wintry across the high hills.
