Widespread frosts and wintry showers forecast as temperatures drop

Michael Gove’s Game Of Thrones-style political prediction that “winter is coming” has come true, at least according to the Met Office.

The forecaster has issued a yellow warning for snow and ice in Northern Scotland and for ice in the rest of the UK apart from South East England as temperatures drop overnight.

The period of unseasonably mild conditions will end with a spell of much colder weather, more typical of mid-January.

Wintry showers were forecast for Thursday and Friday in many parts, although sustained, heavy snow was not expected.

Met Office spokesman Richard Miles said: “The story is it will be colder with widespread frosts and there will be outbreaks of wintry showers moving south and east across many parts of the country, but particularly over the eastern coast, Scotland and northern England.”

Although flurries of snow may fall in a wide area, the Met Office predicted it would only settle on the eastern area, northern England and central and southern Scotland.

The forecast snow would be the first some parts of the country have seen so far this winter.

Mr Gove made his “winter is coming” comment ahead of the historic Commons vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal and comes from the HBO smash Game Of Thrones where Jon Snow’s warning heralds the arrival of an army of undead White Walkers.