WEATHER forecasters have issued an 18-hour weather warning for parts of Essex as snow and ice is expected to hit parts of the county.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning including Colchester and nearby coastal areas including Clacton and Harwich.

It warned that some roads and train lines are likely to be affected, adding that some icy patches on untreated roads, pavements, and cycle paths can be expected.

The warning is in place between 5pm on Thursday and 11am on Friday.

What is the latest weather forecast for Essex?

The United Kingdom and Ireland are copping a blast of cold air from northern Scandinavia.

Daytime temperatures are expected to drop to cold, single-digit figures this week.

Night temperatures are expected to stay below freezing for large parts of England and Scotland.

There is more bad news for those missing the summer warmth as frigid temperatures will likely continue into next week.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist David Oliver warned of an uncertain weather period on Thursday and Friday for the southern half of England and Wales.

“The weather models are highlighting several possible solutions from very wet to mainly dry, with a mainly dry picture the most probable outcome at present,” he said.

“However, some models include the prospect of an area of low pressure developing and moving in from the south or south-west.

“If this solution proves to be correct, we could see an area of warmer and moisture-laden air ‘bumping’ into the cold air further north. Along the boundary of the two air masses lies a zone across southern and central Britain where snowfall could develop fairly widely.”

He added: “Snow in any affected area is unlikely to be anything more than transient and short-lived, but it could lead to small totals and some disruption over a few hours before melting.”

Snow is not expected to linger as ground temperatures usually remain relatively high at this time of year compared to late winter after the ground loses more of its warmth.