Snow and ice are expected to heavily hit the North East later this week, as the Met Office has issued a weather warning in place for later this week. 

Temperatures, which are around 5C-6C lower than usual for this time of year, will plummet well below freezing overnight, the Met Office said.

The forecaster has issued yellow warnings for snow and ice on Wednesday and Thursday (January 17 and 18). 

The Northern Echo: The forecaster has issued yellow warnings for snow and ice on Wednesday and Thursday (January 17 and 18)The forecaster has issued yellow warnings for snow and ice on Wednesday and Thursday (January 17 and 18) (Image: MET OFFICE)

The UK Health Security Agency has a Cold-Health Alert in force, which warns of possible impacts for the health and social care sector.

The chance of snow will remain high across the UK towards the middle of the week, with cold air firmly in place over the UK, the Met Office said.

National Highways has issued a severe weather alert for snow, with road users advised to plan ahead, and some rural communities warned they could be temporarily cut off.

Amy Fellows, national network manager at National Highways, said: “Freezing conditions bring so many hazards such as snow and ice, so take every possible step to understand your journey in advance and allow lots of extra time when travelling to prepare for the unexpected.”

National Rail has warned the wintry weather could affect train journeys all week.

Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said on Monday: “We’re seeing snow across northern parts today. It’s mostly showers at the moment rather than a band, so the levels are sporadic.

“Temperatures will drop below freezing overnight – as cold as minus 5C or more in some rural areas.

“Temperatures might not get above freezing during the daytime in northern locations like Newcastle.

“In areas further south, like Bristol and Plymouth, temperatures will reach about 4C or 5C but it will feel colder because of the wind chill.

“We’re expecting to see this pattern for the rest of the week.

“Snow is unpredictable, so it’s worth keeping an eye on forecasts.”

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Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Chris Bulmer said: “There are a couple of weather systems for Tuesday and Wednesday which we are keeping an eye on that bring the potential for disruptive snow for some regions.

“With cold air firmly in place, any weather systems that move across the country next week will bring mainly snowfall inland.

“Models are currently showing us a variety of options for both systems and we’ll be able to add more details in the coming days.”