Temperatures could plummet to -4C in Cambridge as Met Office issues yellow weather warning

The Met Office has issued a snow and ice warning, with forecasts suggesting it could fall as low as -4 in Cambridge this week.

After temperatures fall on Monday night, they will stay low throughout Tuesday, reaching about 4C in Cambridge in the afternoon, before plummeting below freezing from about 9pm.

By 2am, it could reach -4C in the city, and -3C across much of the rest of Cambridgeshire.

It is expected to remain below freezing until about 9am on Wednesday, which could create problems for the school run and those travelling to work.

It may dip below freezing again overnight on Wednesday, before temperatures recover to around 4C during the day on Thursday, 7C or 8C on Friday and 9C or 10C on Saturday.

Issuing a yellow weather warning that covers much of the country, including Cambridgeshire, from 9pm on Monday, the Met Office said: “A band of rain will edge southwards through the course of Monday evening and early Tuesday, this rain turning to snow on hills and perhaps to lower levels in places.

“Many areas will see little or no accumulations of snow, but 1cm to 2cm could settle in some spots, most likely over high ground and southern parts of the warning area. The rain and snow is then expected to turn light and patchy as it slowly clears southern England on Tuesday. As skies clear overnight, ice is also likely to form readily on untreated surfaces.”

See a full weather forecast here.

Meanwhile, National Highways pleaded for drivers to be patient when encountering its gritters, which look after 4,500 miles of A-roads and motorways.

Darren Clark, severe weather resilience manager at National Highways, said: “As our gritting teams go out to spread salt on the roads, our message is simple to all road users: ‘Please be patient and give us the time and space to do what we need to do to keep you safe.

“If you are going to pass us, please do so courteously, pass us safely and legally, or even better, if you are able to stay back, you will actually help the salt on the road activate even more quickly by crushing and breaking it into the road surface which benefits everyone.

“It’s worth remembering too, we are not gritting all the time. Some of our fleet may come off at particular junctions or return to depots while other vehicles take over, lowering any inconvenience to motorists. We are once again totally committed to working around the clock on these seasonal operations to keep all road users safe and thank everyone in advance for their patience and understanding.”

Cambridgeshire County Council, as highways authority, is responsible for gritting other roads and pavements.