The Met Office has issued an amber warning for snow covering an area from the south of the Peak District up to the North Pennines, valid from 1500 Thursday to 1200 Friday. The area at risk of snow transitions north as milder air moves northward, with 10-20cm of snow likely to fall across much of the area, and 30-40cm in some places, accompanied by strong winds.

A yellow warning for snow and ice covers much of Wales as well as central, southern and eastern England through to 0700 Thursday morning. Within this warning area, 2-4 cm of snow could accumulate quite widely through this evening and overnight, with 5-10cm possible in a few places.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Matthew Lehnert, said: “Snow will have settled quite widely in central parts of the UK as we move into Thursday morning, leaving tricky conditions for the morning travel period. It will be another very cold night, especially under clear skies in Scotland where temperatures could get down to -15°C again tonight. An Amber warning for snow has been issued for the high ground running north in the center of northern England as snow redevelops through the course of Thursday and persists until early Friday. Here we could see up to 40cm of snow accompanied by strong winds causing blizzard conditions.”

RAC Breakdown spokesperson Rod Dennis advises drivers to proceed extremely cautiously over the next few days, advising drivers to pack warm clothes and blankets, food and drink and a portable battery charger (power bank) so their mobiles don’t let them down even if their vehicles do.

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a Level 3 Cold Weather Alert for the whole of England. Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “During periods like this, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may be more vulnerable to the cold weather.”

Keep up to date with the latest forecast on the MetOffice website