Snow and ice are forecast to affect large parts of the UK on Friday, with the Met Office warning of likely travel disruption as wintry weather spreads south and east.

Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are already in force across much of the country, ahead of amber snow warnings for northern Scotland that begin at midday on Friday and run until noon on Saturday.

The Met Office says travel disruption is expected as snow moves through parts of England and Wales on January 2. A yellow warning for snow and ice covers London, Greater Manchester and Cardiff throughout Friday morning, while a separate yellow warning for ice is in place across south-west England until 10am.

In many areas, around 2cm of snow could fall, rising to 5cm on higher ground. Conditions are expected to be more severe in Scotland, where heavy snowfall has already caused problems for motorists in the Highlands and the north-east on New Year’s Day.

Within the amber warning areas, the Met Office says snow accumulations could reach up to 20cm on low ground and as much as 40cm on higher ground. There is a risk of power cuts, vehicles becoming stranded and difficult driving conditions.

Describing the amber warning, the Met Office said: “Heavy snow showers will become more frequent and may merge to give longer spells of snow at times. Windy conditions will also result in some drifting of snow and temporary blizzard conditions.”

A further yellow warning for snow and ice is in place across large parts of England and Wales between midnight and noon, stretching from Chester and Greater Manchester down to London and Kent. Northern Ireland is also under a yellow warning between midnight and 10am.

Drivers and public transport users have been urged to allow extra time for journeys. The AA estimates that 20.7 million car journeys will be made across the UK on January 2, up from an estimated 18.0 million on New Year’s Day.

A Met Office spokeswoman said the cold spell is set to continue. “We expect this cold spell to persist into the weekend and on into next week, with further warnings possible as temperatures remain well below average and snow showers continue in places,” she said.

Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency has issued cold weather warnings across England until 10am on January 6. The agency said conditions are likely to place significant pressure on health and social care services, with an increased risk of illness and deaths among older people and those with existing health conditions. Photo by Panhard, Wikimedia commons.