The UK is braced for ice and snow this weekend as the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning covering large parts of the country.

Forecasters predict flurries of snow across Sunday and early next week.

The yellow weather warning covers the majority of Scotland, Wales, the north of England and the midlands from 3am to 9pm on Sunday December 18. Another warning for snow and ice affecting the south will come into force between sam and 11am on the same day.

Met Office forecaster Ellie Wilson has predicted 8cm of snow in Wales with as much as 15cm in northern Scotland.

She said: "A band of rain and snow is going to be moving north-eastwards across the country through Sunday. It's bringing milder air behind it, but that milder air bumps into the cold air that's where we're seeing where the snow is likely to fall."

Ms Wilson added: "That snow will quickly be followed by rain so any of those accumulations shouldn't last too long. Because of the current cold conditions that we've seen, any of that snowfall will be falling onto cold frozen surfaces so there is a risk of ice here through the morning.

"That rain will quickly be following closely behind later on Sunday.”

Met Office forecast

The Met Office shared its outlook for December 20 to December 28: "A mix of sunshine and showers elsewhere these most frequent in the northwest, perhaps turning to sleet or snow over high ground in Scotland. Windy in places, with a chance of gales in the north. Temperatures will be near normal to mild.

"These may occasionally fall as snow, over higher ground in the south, but possibly reaching low levels in the north. It will probably continue to be windy with the possibility of gales in the north. The temperature will turn colder again, feeling chilly in the strong winds."