Warning of heavy snow with weather warnings issued for the North West

Weather warnings have been issued for the north west, with a warning that we could see 25cm of heavy snow in places.

A yellow warning is in place covering Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire and Greater Manchester. A more severe amber warning also covers the Peak District and Staffordshire Moorlands.

The amber warning across the Peak District and south Pennines is in place from noon until 6pm on Thursday, with up to 25cm of snow forecast across high ground above 300 metres.

The Met Office said strong and gusty easterly winds may lead to "some drifting in places", and that 10-15cm of snow is expected quite widely across the warning area.

A separate amber warning for snow and ice will be in place between 8am and 3pm on Thursday across north Wales and north-west Shropshire, with 20-25cm of snow forecast in areas above 200 metres.

The Met Office said that as milder air begins to arrive from the south, there is a chance that snow could turn to "freezing rain across some higher routes above 200 metres".

An amber weather warning means travel delays on roads are likely; public transport vehicles and cars could be stranded; power cuts are possible; and some rural communities could be cut off temporarily.

In the area covered by the snow and ice warning, the Met Office said untreated pavements and cycle paths could be impassable.

Met Office meteorologist Amy Bokota said an easterly wind meant that places "inland and higher up" were likely to see the most snow.

She said it was "unlikely" that significant levels of snow would be on the ground for days, but added it could lead to difficult driving conditions on Thursday.

Ms Bokota said: "The snow could cause some pretty poor driving conditions for parts of the Pennines and Wales, particularly through the afternoon and early evening."

The forecaster added that most places would see a return to milder conditions by the end of Thursday.