WEATHER WARNING: Snow forecast for Northumberland tonight

It says rain will spread from the west during the day and turn to snow over the hills. The warning is currently confined to the western half and the far north of the county, although smaller amounts of snow might fall in the rest of Northumberland.

Just to the north, a more severe amber alert has been placed on the Scottish Borders.

The Met Office states: "The trend to wintry weather then extends into parts of northern England during the rest of Wednesday night, clearing from Yorkshire during the morning. At this stage, it looks as if the heaviest snow will affect parts of southern Scotland (for which a separate amber warning is in force) and upland areas of northern England, including cross-Pennine routes, where 3 to 6cm may fall in a number of areas, with possibly as much as 10cm locally, mainly above elevations of 300 metres. Please be aware of the risk of disruption to travel and take appropriate precautions before undertaking journeys. It will also be worth keeping fully up to date with the latest forecasts - details of amounts and areas affected may well change."

The chief forecaster added: "A complex area of low pressure will track into the cold air across the UK, with precipitation showing an increasing tendency to turn to snow in places. The warning area picks out where we currently expect the worst of the snow, but some smaller amounts of snow may be expected rather more widely. It should also be noted, however, that some areas will see only small amounts due to the showery nature of the precipitation."