Met Office FREEZING RAIN warning: Britain BLASTED by snow and ice - MAP

THE MET OFFICE has warned of freezing rain this morning, adding to an already frosty start as Britain awoke to icy roads.

09:47, Thu, Jan 24, 2019 | UPDATED: 10:03, Thu, Jan 24, 2019

BBC Weather: Snow set to hit UK as low temperatures continue

Britain is facing a wintry start to 2019 with snow and sleet blanketing parts of the country this week. A Met Office yellow weather warning for ice is in effect across much of the country this morning, as temperatures continue to tumble. And now the UK-based weather agency has upgraded the alert to warn of freezing rain.

The Met Office explains freezing rain starts “life as snow, ice, sleet or hail, but passes through a layer of air that’s above 0C on the way down to the ground, melting into a liquid water droplet.

"If these droplets then fall through a zone of sub-zero air just above the ground, they become supercooled.

"When these supercooled droplets strike surfaces that are close to or below freezing, they freeze on impact forming a glaze of ice.”

The yellow weather warning is in effect until 11am today (Thursday) and warns of a risk of ice where rain has fallen on frozen surfaces, freezing rain and showers of mixed rain, sleet and snow.

Met Office Freezing Rain

Met Office Freezing Rain: Yellow weather warnings are in place today (Image: GETTY/ WX CHARTS)

The Met Office tweeted this morning: “Watch out for slippery roads and pavements this morning.

“A yellow ice warning has been updated as freezing rain moves across parts of the East Midlands, east and southeast England.”

Areas affected by the warning are, Central, Tayside & Fife, East Midlands, East of England, Grampian, Highlands & Eilean Siar, London & South East England, North East England, North West England, Orkney & Shetland, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders, Strathclyde, West Midlands and Yorkshire & Humber.

Last night temperatures ranged from a baltic -7C in Glasgow and -5C in Newcastle to -2C in Blackpool and -1C in High Wycombe.

Some areas also reported dense fog - including Northern Ireland, Greater Manchester, Cumbria, Shropshire and southern Scotland.

Today there will be wintry showers along northern and some western and eastern coasts will be heavy at times.

A few centimetres of snow could accumulate in places, alongside the freezing rain.

According to meteoradar.com at the time of writing light snow was falling in York, Peterborough and Lincoln.

Met Office warning

Met Office warning: The warning for ice is in place for much of the UK (Image: Met Office)

Met Office metrologist Aidan McGivern said of Thursday’s weather forecast: "The start of the day will be cold and frost out there for most of us.

"Icy patches in places but a bright start for many.

"Some sunshine to start the day across central, northern and eastern Scotland.

“Temperatures minus one, minus two degrees in urban areas, even colder in the countryside."

Met Office warning

Met Office warning: Freezing rain creates a layer of ice on surfaces it lands on (Image: GETTY)

Public Health England (PHE) has issued warnings for those who are old, ill or vulnerable with the ongoing cold weather.

Dr Emer O’Connell of PHE said: “Experience shows us that every winter thousands of people are seriously affected and even die from illnesses linked to the cold. Protecting yourself from the cold may seem like common sense but many people do not manage to keep themselves warm.

“If you know someone at risk, someone over 65, anyone with dementia or a heart and lung condition, or a young child, check up on them and see if there’s anything you can do to help.

“All of us should be heating our homes to at least 18C, keeping up to date with weather forecasts and planning our days around them - simple steps can really help protect against the cold.”