Drivers warned of treacherous conditions as snow and freezing rain predicted

BLIZZARDS, HEAVY snow and freezing rain will hit the UK this weekend, bringing treacherous conditions for drivers and shoppers on one of the busiest weekends before Christmas.

Amber warnings, alerting people to heavy snow and ice which could cause travel disruption and power cuts, have been issued for Yorkshire and the Humber as well as other areas in the North, the Midlands and Scotland.

Further warnings over bad weather have been issued for most of the rest of the country.

A Met Office spokeswoman said: “At the moment it looks like, in the days leading up to Christmas, it’s likely to be unsettled with Atlantic weather systems affecting the country, bringing rain and strong winds.

“It could have some impact on people’s plans this weekend. Freezing rain is not that common in this country, so that could bring quite treacherous driving conditions.”

Breakdown cover provider Green Flag said it was expecting more than 76,600 breakdowns and up to 126,300 calls predicted between Saturday and Monday.

It urged drivers to check their vehicles before leaving home, approach the roads with caution, and ensure they left a safe distance between other vehicles.

Despite bookmakers shortening their odds on a white Christmas, the Met Office says it is still too early to tell.

The last widespread white Christmas was in 2010 when 83 per cent of monitoring stations recorded snow on the ground – the highest ever recorded.

A white Christmas is defined as one snowflake seen falling in the 24 hours of December 25 somewhere in the UK.

Bookmaker Ladbrokes is offering odds of 2/7 for snowfall anywhere in the UK on Christmas Day, while William Hill said Aberdeen was the most likely city to see snow on December 25.

Spokesman Rupert Adams said: “The odds now suggest a real chance of a white Christmas, with the Scottish cities very much the favourites.”