Weather warnings for ice and snow have been issued for parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, as Arctic air brings cold conditions to the whole of the UK. A Yellow warning for snow and ice applies for parts of central and northern Scotland between 20:00 Friday and 11:00 Saturday, and a Yellow warning for ice covers much of Northern Ireland between 01:00 and 10:00 on Saturday.

Icy conditions could lead to hazardous travelling conditions in the warning areas, but even outside those regions there’s a chance of frost or ice virtually anywhere in the country.

Chief Meteorologist Frank Saunders said: “Friday and Saturday night could bring frost to sheltered areas anywhere in the UK, although the strong breeze will keep temperatures just above freezing in some parts. We’re probably used to the warmer weather that we’ve had through the early autumn, so the sudden marked contrast will be especially apparent. And anywhere that we see showers falling, together with temperatures close to zero, people will need to take care when travelling.”

Snow is also expected across parts of Scotland, particularly the north, but it is not expected to settle on roads below 200-300 metres. The highest areas of northern England, Northern Ireland and the Scottish Borders might also see a little snow, but wintry showers elsewhere will be mainly hail or sleet. Meanwhile, a lot of inland areas sheltered from the wind, should see some bright, crisp sunshine.

Stein Connelly from Transport Scotland said: “These conditions may impact driving conditions in the affected areas, particularly over higher routes. As always, we encourage motorists to plan their journeys ahead of time, follow any police travel advice and drive to the conditions.

“Our operating companies have already started their winter service and will closely monitor the trunk road network, providing appropriate treatments where necessary. Drivers can use the Traffic Scotland mobile website - my.trafficscotland.org - to get the latest information on the trunk road network, as well as check the @trafficscotland twitter page for updates."

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