Arctic temperatures to briefly relent but winds expected to strengthen

Britain’s Arctic temperatures of recent days will briefly grow more mild, however the Met Office has warned that winds are set to strengthen.

After a dry start to Sunday, forecasts indicated rain will spread across most parts of the UK.

The Met Office issued a yellow warning for snow and ice across parts of central and northeast Scotland until 9am on Sunday.

Many parts of the UK shivered through another freezing day on Saturday with cloud and rain spreading in from the west.

Temperatures plunged to as low as minus 15.7C in Altnaharra in northern Scotland on Saturday while the highest temperature of 12.C was recorded at St Marys Airport on the Isles of Scilly, south west of Cornwall.

The Met Office had yellow warnings in place covering large swathes of the country after Storm Larisa battered parts of the UK with gales and blizzards.

Drivers were urged to get behind the wheel only if necessary, with some motorists left stranded due to heavy snowfall.

In north Wales two hill-walking families had to be rescued after they were caught in poor weather on Saturday.

North East Wales Search and Rescue told the BBC it received simultaneous calls to help two separate families who had been walking on Moel Famau, which sits between Flintshire and Denbighshire.

The service sent teams in 4×4 vehicles to the hill, in the Clwydian Range.

The rescue service said visibility was down to 100m (328ft) at the time of the calls.

While in Annahilt, Northern Ireland, rare snow rollers were spotted in a field in County Down by entomologist Adam Mantell.

The naturally-occurring phenomenon are the result of strong winds blowing across a flat, snow-covered field or hillside, the Royal Meteorological society (RMETS) told the BBC.