UK weather: 'Severe' snow alert issued with communities warned they could be cut off

An Arctic blast will bring snow to parts of the UK today as temperatures plummet - with the Met Office also warning of travel disruption and the risk of injuries.

National Highways has issued a "severe weather alert" for snow affecting the North West, with some rural communities warned they could be cut off.

Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice have been issued by the Met Office across parts of the UK.

One for ice is in place until 11am on Monday across parts of northeast Wales and northwest England from Liverpool to the West Midlands.

A similar warning is in place across northern Scotland and parts of Norfolk until midnight, while the same warning covers Northern Ireland until 9am on Tuesday.

Forecasters say some areas will see between 2-5cm of snow, with untreated surfaces becoming icy later in the day.

Check the five-day forecast where you are

On Tuesday, the yellow weather warning for snow and ice expands to cover a large swathe of northern England, the whole of Scotland, and northern parts of Wales.

A similar warning for snow will take effect on Wednesday and Thursday for parts of northwest England, northern Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Drivers could end up stranded or delayed this week as freezing temperatures hit the UK.

Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslick said temperatures will be about 5C to 6C lower than usual for this time of year.

National Highways, which manages major roads, has urged motorists to "check ahead and plan for disruption" with "widespread snow" expected in the North West.

Up to between 5-10cm is possible on the A66 and M62 - with other parts getting between 1-5cm.

Some rural communities could be temporarily cut off and rail services may also be delayed or cancelled, it adds.

"We would recommend people stick to the main roads and avoid country lanes where possible," said Mr Eslick.

"These are the places that aren't going to see any gritting or any road clearances for the next couple of days.

"So we recommend people take their time, make sure they have time to do their cars in the mornings, and go steady."

He added the snow is down to a strong northerly wind bringing in an Arctic airmass.

As well as possible road and rail problems, the Met Office says there could be power cuts in some places.

This week's warnings follow snow in the South East last week, with places such as Kent getting several centimetres, and flooding from Storm Henk persisting in many other areas.