Britain is set to be blasted with snow in a matter of days, with six UK cities likely to experience wintry weather. Only the mountains of the Alps and the fjords of Scandinavia will experience similar conditions in Europe, as snow and ice envelop much of the north of the UK on Monday night.

New weather maps from WXCharts show temperatures could plunge to -6C in parts of the Scottish Highlands in the early hours on December 1. Across Scotland and northern England, six cities are likely to wake up to snowy conditions for the Monday morning rush-hour, with Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Perth and Edinburgh hit north of the border, and Newcastle likely to see snow in England.

The freezing temperatures on Monday could spell tricky icy conditions for drivers, following the Met Office's issuance of a yellow warning for heavy rain over the weekend.

Forecasters warned that a developing area of low pressure would move across the southern and central parts of the UK on Saturday.

This will bring "bands of heavy rain and gusty winds", particularly across Wales, the Midlands and southern England.

There is potential for 20-30mm of rain to fall across England and Wales, with up to 50mm possible in some areas. On high ground, there is a low chance of between 60 to 80mm of rain falling.

A yellow warning for rain covers much of southern England from 6am today (Saturday) until midnight, and another warning is in place for Monday, December 1, for the south coast, the West Country and South Wales from midnight on Monday until 3pm.

Jason Kelly, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "While the exact track of the low remains uncertain at this time, there is a clear signal for strong winds and periods of heavy rain, which could lead to surface water flooding and delays to road and rail travel.

"Rain will also push into north-east England during Saturday, some of which could fall as snow over higher ground when the system meets colder air coming down from the north.

"Sunday will be drier and brighter, albeit colder, for many areas with blustery winds lingering near some North Sea coasts. Expect widespread frost overnight into Monday before the next weather system approaches."

The Met Office said another Atlantic system would sweep in from the South West at the end of the weekend.

Today:

Cloudy across England and Wales with a band of rain, heavy at times, moving northeastwards, accompanied by some strong winds for a time. Brighter and colder for Northern Ireland and Scotland, with a few showers, these wintry over the mountains.

Tonight:

Rain clearing into the North Sea though brisk winds continuing in the east. Elsewhere, drier with clear spells leading to a widespread frost and some icy stretches.

Sunday:

Drier, brighter and chillier on Sunday. Winds easing in the east with showers mainly in the north and west. Turning cloudier across Northern Ireland with rain arriving by the evening.

Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:

Further heavy rain and brisk winds moving in through Monday. Sunny spells and blustery showers expected on Tuesday and into Wednesday, these most frequent in the west. Temperatures near average.