UK weather: High winds and showery spells as snow hits northern England

West Yorkshire Police warned drivers  of snow and ice early on Friday morning (West Yorkshire Police)
West Yorkshire Police warned drivers of snow and ice early on Friday morning (West Yorkshire Police)

Parts of northern England will wake up to snow cover on Friday, after freezing storms battered Yorkshire with large hailstones and up to four inches of snow on Thursday night.

West Yorkshire Roads Police warned drivers to be careful as “plenty of snow and ice” remain on rural roads in some areas after last night’s freeze.

Elsewhere in the UK, most areas will see a cloudy, chilly morning on Friday, with high winds and patches of rain forecast in parts.

Driver warned of 'sleet and snow' north of Leeds on Thursday nightRichard Ford
Driver warned of 'sleet and snow' north of Leeds on Thursday nightRichard Ford

Southwestern areas along with northern Scotland will see rainy spells throughout the morning, while East Anglia and the southeast are expected to see heavier downpours, according to Met Office forecasters.

Conditions look set to improve across most of the UK as the day progresses, with only East Anglia seeing heavy rain persist into the evening.

Temperatures are expected to pick up in the afternoon after a chilly start, with highs of 15C expected in the southeast. Areas of northern England will see highs of 13C by mid-afternoon.

High winds across the board will keep the temperature feeling low however heading towards Friday evening. Overnight, wind speeds will drop slightly though most areas will still be feeling heavy gusts heading into the weekend.

Saturday is forecast to be brighter and dryer for most of the day, with sunny spells expected throughout. East Anglia again will see heavy downpours though these may give way to patches of sun in the afternoon.

Wind speeds will continue to be high across the UK on Saturday and most areas will be looking at a slightly chillier day than Friday, according to the Met Office.

Those high winds are expected to subside in northern areas by Sunday though the cloud cover is expected to continue and most areas will be seeing a cloudy, chilly end to the weekend.

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