Northern Ireland weather: Next few days to see wintry showers, icy nights and hill snow this weekend

The Met Office has issued a Yellow Warning for ice across Northern Ireland - with a band of rain sleet and hill snow also expected.

A three-day snow warning has been issued for almost all of England and Wales and parts of Scotland this weekend as the Met Office warned rural communities there could become cut off.

Schools across GB could potentially be closed and there is a chance of power cuts and road closures as well as delays and cancellations to flights and trains, the Met Office said.

It comes as strong winds and heavy rain have been battering the UK - including Northern Ireland - with the threat of flooding and disruption to New Year’s Day travel.

The ice warning impacting Northern Ireland is in place from 4pm on New Year's Day until 10am on 2 January. It applies to all six counties of Northern ireland.

Met Office Senior Operational Meteorologist Ellie Glaisyer told the News Letter: “It is turning colder in Northern Ireland, with temperatures dropping close to or below average for the time of year.

"We are likely to see some wintry showers over the next few days, bringing a dusting of snow over the hills.

"It will also turn icy overnight with a hard frost possible, particularly after the rain we’ve had in recent days, with minimum temperatures as low as -2 to -4 Celsius in rural areas tonight and tomorrow night. Despite the sunshine and light northerly winds, it will still be feeling cold by day with highs of around 5 Celsius.

"It will then likely turn a little cloudier over the weekend with a spell of rain and possibly hill snow later Saturday and into Sunday. Still feeling cold with blustery winds and highs of 4-6 Celsius and lows of -2 to -4 Celsius in rural areas.”

The forecaster says that icy surfaces may lead to some difficult travel conditions in Northern Ireland.

It warns to expect some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths and some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.

"A band of rain, sleet and hill snow will clear southwards during Wednesday afternoon and evening," it warned.

"As skies clear in its wake, and with standing water following earlier rain in places, ice is likely to form quite quickly on untreated surfaces, leading to difficult travel conditions. Wintry showers are also likely along some north-facing coasts overnight, increasing the chance of ice in places."

The Met Office suggests leaving more time than normal for any journeys and sticking to main roads and footpaths, which are more likely to have been treated.

Meanwhile, a yellow warning for snow is in place from noon on Saturday until 9am on Monday, covering all regions of England other than the South West, the majority of Wales and parts of southern Scotland.

The North West and Wales have seen heavy rain for much of New Years Day. Some parts of the North West saw almost a month’s worth of rain within 48 hours.

More than 120 flood warnings were issued across England, Wales and Scotland.