UK headed for cold snap

"Thundersnow" and blizzards could blight parts of the UK as an arctic cold spell blowing in from the north looks set to cause temperatures to tumble.

Warnings for wind and snow have been issued by the Met Office, with snow showers expected to bring 2-5 cm of snow at lower levels and 10-20cm on ground above 200m to 300m.

Affecting Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of the North West from Wednesday, the warning expands to include Wales and Eastern England by Thursday and into Friday.

With the cold air originating over arctic Canada, Met Office meteorologist Emma Sharples warned that with high winds and snow "we could get some blizzard type conditions, especially at height".

Quizzed on the possibility of "thundersnow", where the rain associated with a thunderstorm falls as snow, she added: "It is possible, all that really needs is for thunder to happen at the same time as the snow.

"So where you get very active or vigorous showers - which is what we are going to see... then we could well get some thunder as well. It is definitely possible."

Overnight frosts are also set to develop in most places, with "severe frost likely where there is snow on the ground in the north".