Met Office issues 'rare' weather warning and says it has already started

The Met Office has issued a "rare" weather alert as an amber warning is triggered in the country amid the threat and prospect of MORE snow. The amber alert is in place between 2pm and 9pm on January 8, the Met Office forecasting service and weather agency said.

This type of warning means that snow has a medium likelihood and is expected to have a medium impact. South West England is the only area of the UK affected by the warning, which includes Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset.

Weather warnings issued on Tuesday for snow and ice covering the parts of Wales, the North West of England, west and northern parts of Scotland as well as Northern Ireland will remain in place until midnight tomorrow.

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The forecaster said some roads and railways are likely to be affected and there could be icy patches on untreated roads. Looking ahead from January 13, the Met Office advised: "High pressure is likely to build from the south, close to or over the UK throughout this period, with generally settled conditions prevailing for many. Cloud amounts will be variable and often large, with a chance of some fog developing under clearer spells, which could be slow to clear.

"Frontal systems may affect some parts of the UK though, these more likely towards the northwest of the UK, bringing some rain and windier conditions here, especially to western Scotland. Temperatures are likely to be generally around or a little above average in the north and west, although southern and eastern parts may be colder at times, especially where overnight fog and frost is slow to clear."

And its January 22 to February 5 outlook added: " High pressure may initially dominate, especially in the south, bringing quiet, grey, and cool conditions here. Northern parts are more-likely to be unsettled but milder.

"This pattern will likely spread across the whole UK by the end of the period, leading to milder conditions with periods of rain and strong winds more widely."