Wintry weather is poised to grip much of Britain, prompting forecasters to issue warnings for snow, ice and wind.

Met Office meteorologist John West said a low pressure system will see heavy rain push into Northern Ireland, England and Wales overnight and into Sunday morning.

He said snow and a “wintry mix” could affect some central and north-western parts of the UK, with blustery conditions and high winds expected across much of southern England.

“It is looking as if as that system deepens, we might see some snow over the hills of the Pennines and North Wales,” Mr West said.

“That is likely through the early hours of the morning towards dawn as this system moves away into the North Sea.

“It should clear quite quickly through the morning, but people might wake up to some snow in that central swathe of the country.”

Windy weatherA woman is buffeted by strong winds while crossing Westminster Bridge, in central London, on Saturday (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

A yellow alert for snow and ice has been put in place by the Met Office for Northern Ireland, North West England and west and central Scotland between 2am and 11am on Sunday.

The forecaster warns the short burst of rain, sleet and snow over two to three hours could see up to to 3cm of snow on lower levels, and accumulations of up to 10cm on higher ground.

Icy patches are also likely to develop on untreated surfaces as the rain, sleet and snow clears.

A yellow warning for snow has been issued across a band of North Wales, Central and Eastern England, and is in place between 3am and 11am on Sunday.

Up to 2cm of snow is likely on lower ground in some parts, the Met Office said.

High winds and gusts will also blight much of southern England, with a yellow warning in place from 1am to 11am on Sunday.

Mr West added: “We could see – quite widely – gusts of 45-55mph, and in some more exposed spots we could see 55-65mph gusts as well. So potential for some disruption.”

He said there is a chance of large waves in coastal areas, and a risk of falling trees and disruption to power lines.

But with a slight reprieve in conditions expected on Monday, the wild weather is expected to make a return towards the middle of the week.

The Met Office has issued two further yellow weather warnings for wind – the first of which covers much of Northern Ireland, and will begin at 3pm on Tuesday and last until midnight.

Another is in place for much of England from around midnight on Wednesday until 3pm.

During the warning periods, across Northern Ireland there could be gusts of 60mph-70mph, with 50mph-55mph seen quite widely across England and 60mph-65mph in coastal areas.

A band of heavy rain will also push south-eastwards, and will be followed by some heavy showers during Tuesday and Wednesday.

Temperatures will be about average for the time of year – around 8C-11C (46.4F-51.8F) for most, but with the strength of the wind it will feel colder.