Met Office issues updated snow and ice warning as likelihood of disruption increases

The Met Office has says there's an increased likelihood of disruption caused by snow and ice tonight as it issued an updated weather warning for large parts of the UK.

Up to 20cm of 'disruptive snow' could fall tonight and in the coming days in the worst affected areas as the UK braces itself for its 'first taste of winter'. Some parts of the country could experience power cuts and travel chaos while rural communities could find themselves cut off if the worst of the Arctic blast materialises.

The Met Office has issued several yellow weather warnings for snow and ice for parts of the UK that began on Sunday afternoon and are in place until Tuesday morning. And this morning (Monday) it issued an updated warning saying the 'likelihood of impacts had increased'.

READ MORE: Met Office reveals exactly when 'disruptive snow' could hit Greater Manchester

A warning comes into force at 7pm tonight and is in place until 10am on Tuesday – covering Greater Manchester and the rest north of England plus areas in the East Midlands, Yorkshire, Wales.

Within the affected areas, there is a chance of power cuts, disruption to road and public transport and the risk of communities being cut off, the weather service said. "The most likely scenario is for most of the snow to accumulate on hills, with 5 to 10cm possible above 200 metres and perhaps as much as 15 to 20cm above 300 metres," the warning states.

"There is a chance of snow settling at lower levels, where 5 to 10 cm would prove much more disruptive - this remains uncertain, but seems most likely across parts of Yorkshire and Derbyshire. As rain, sleet and snow clear on Tuesday morning, ice may form on untreated surfaces."

What should I expect?

• There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected
• A small chance that untreated pavements and cycle paths become impassable
• There is a slight chance that some rural communities could become cut off
• There is a slight chance that bus and train services may be delayed or cancelled, with some road closures and longer journey times
• A small chance of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces
• There is a small chance of travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel

Tom Morgan, Met Office meteorologist, said: "We could see some disruptive snow in the Pennine regions, in particular, the Peak District as well, especially Monday night, but we could well see some impacts lasting on until Tuesday morning’s rush hour. Even down to lower levels, we could well see some snow as well, so quite a bit of disruption possible by Tuesday morning, and then the week ahead is likely to stay cold nationwide, a windy day on Tuesday, and then winter showers through the week ahead."