Rare 'thundersnow' phenomenon could hit UK - after coldest night this winter

Thundersnow is expected to hit parts of the UK, with forecasters warning snow showers and lightning strikes could disrupt travel and cause power outages - after the coldest night of the winter so far in England.

The big chill has arrived for many areas, as yellow warnings for snow and ice have been issued by the Met Office for parts of northern England, western Scotland and Northern Ireland for today and tomorrow.

It has forecast snowfall in Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria, Merseyside, Yorkshire and Scotland between 10am and 4pm, followed by freezing conditions in the evening and wintry showers into Friday.

It follows Topcliffe in North Yorkshire recording a chilly -8C (17.6F) overnight, making it the lowest temperature recorded in England this winter.

Prospect of thundersnow

After a bitterly cold and frosty start on Thursday morning as temperatures dropped to sub-zero temperatures across most parts of the UK overnight, a band of rain and hill snow will arrive from the west.

Forecasters said the prospect of thundersnow - expected to hit western Scotland today and tomorrow - is driven by the same conditions which cause thunder in the summer, the difference in temperature between the ground and the air surrounding it.

Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: "Because you have got that differential it's possible, quite easily, for warm air at ground level when it heats up to start to rise very quickly up through the cold air and that's what creates the potential for thunderstorms, so we are likely to see along with the other wintery showers, likely to see hail and snow."