Rare freezing rain and snow may hit parts of northern England over weekend

Rare freezing rain could hit parts of northern England along with snow and sleet this weekend, forecasters say.

A yellow snow and ice warning will be in place across the North East, Cumbria and Yorkshire between 6am and 2pm on Saturday, the Met Office said.

Up to two inches of snow could fall over higher ground and freezing rain is possible, with people told to expect some travel disruption.

Freezing rain, a rare phenomenon in the UK, forms when supercooled rain droplets freeze on contact with cold surfaces, creating a layer of ice, according to the Met Office.

There is also the chance of snow over higher ground in Scotland and some heavy rain over parts of southern Wales and south-west England, the forecaster said.

Met Office meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: “Through Saturday the rain will move further east and as it does it’ll bump into the colder air, meaning some snow is likely, mainly for parts of northern England, covered by the snow and ice warning.

“Two to five centimetres is possible over the Cheviots and North Yorks Moors, and it’s possible we could see some localised accumulations to lower levels.

“Some freezing rain could affect higher parts of the Pennines for a time too, leading to icy conditions. Some snow is possible outside the warning area, although amounts are likely to be small.”