Two inches of snow tomorrow as far south as Birmingham (... but no-one told these ducklings who came seven months early)

By GAVIN ALLEN



Braced for more: Pedestrians tackle a snow covered street in Cannock, Staffordshire, this morning and a full dump of snow is expected as far south as Birmingham tomorrow



The Big Freeze is set to sweep south into England tomorrow with snow expected as far down as Birmingham accompanied by icy 80mph winds.

The Met Office said another 10cm of snow is set to fall overnight in Scotland, with widespread black ice expected to turn roads and pavements in central Scotland into dangerous skating rinks tomorrow

Forecasters issued warnings for England to be hit by snow Thursday evening and through Friday, predicting up to two inches of snow at lower levels in the Midlands and north west. Scotland will be hit by up to 30cms.



High ground: A snow plough makes a route through deep snow past The Cat and Fiddle, the second highest pub in England, which is 1,689ft up in The Peak District National Park



Christmas post: Suzanna Pommeraning makes sure the mail gets through while wearing shorts, despite the heavy snow in Inverness



Peaceful: Snow covered tombstones in the grounds at The Kirk of Shotts Church in North Lanarkshire



At the same time, hurricane-force wind gusts up to 70mph will batter the east coast as far south as East Anglia.

England's northern Midlands and north west face 60mph winds, with 80mph in Scotland - bringing blizzard conditions and drifting to those areas, which could halt transport on roads and affect train lines.

Temperatures are set to rise over the next couple of days, reaching a mild 12C to 13C on Thursday, before plummeting to as low as -4C in London on Friday night.



North Lanarkshire: Scotland is facing yet more snow as 80mph winds whip through the Highlands



Night-time temperatures, which dropped to -8C at Cairngorm, Scotland, early this morning, will be sub-zero across many parts of the UK by Friday night, bringing widespread ice on Saturday with more snow and sleet falling through the weekend.

Met Office forecaster Dan Williams said: 'We're expecting up to 10cm of snow overnight in Scotland, more likely on higher ground, with snow and sleet at lower levels and overnight temperatures in minuses.



Born too soon: Thirteen ducklings are being cared for by staff at Mallydams Wildlife Centre in Hastings after they were abandoned by their mother



'The guidance is for perhaps 20cm-30cm on hills and 5-10cm at lower levels. Snow which falls overnight is more likely to settle.

'With strong winds and possible heavy snow showers, people should be aware of very difficult weather conditions including potential blizzards and transport impacts including drifting.

'Winds will be strong through Wednesday in Scotland and on Thursday and Friday morning as far south as East Anglia, with 60-70mph gusts and 80mph in exposed areas, more likely in Scotland.

'North-westerly winds are pulling fairly cold air down from the polar regions.

'Saturday will see frost and widespread road ice on untreated roads, with wintry showers for the whole of the UK apart from the south-east.

'Sunday will be slightly milder but could still see wintry showers on ground over 400m in the north.'

The freezing weather claimed two lives on the roads yesterday as two truck drivers died in separate incidents.

One 43-year-old driver was killed when his 40-tonne lorry crashed on the M73, forcing police to close shut a busy stretch of the motorway at Baillieston, Glasgow.

Diesel spilled across the road forcing a second lorry to jackknife.

A second truck driver died in a separate incident when his vehicle skidded off a trunk road in north Lincolnshire after driving conditions turned treacherous.

Humberside Police said the white Scania lorry, which was fully loaded with meat, left the westbound carriageway of the A160 in South Killingholme at about 4.14am.

Another driver was suffered chest injuries in an accident on the A9 near Dalguise in Perthshire, Scotland, as temperatures plunged as low as -7.7C as up to six inches of snow fell north of the border.

Police across the north of England and Scotland are warning motorists to take extra care due to sleet and snow.



Deaths: The M73 near Baillieston, Glasgow was closed for several hours after one lorry driver died and a second jackknifed, spilling diesel across the carriageway



Turned over: This Hyrdo electric truck careened on an icy road in Lewis



Tailbacks: Traffic on the M74, southbound near Baillieston, as long jams built up caused by the death near Glasgow



Let it snow! Richard Mooney and his dog Toby walk underneath snow-covered bows near Whitburn in West Lothian after six inches of the white stuff fell overnight







source: dailymail