Milder temperatures are set to return to the UK over the weekend after a period of heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures – but the change will bring wet and windy weather for many.
A stream of cold Arctic air will prompt snow and ice hazards which will continue ahead of the weekend for many in the northern half of the country, according to the Met Office.
But the Arctic air is set to be displaced from the north and west from Friday, bringing an Atlantic influence with milder air eventually returning.
However, while temperatures will increase from the chills of recent days, the Met Office said the change in airmass would also bring much windier weather for Sunday and Monday.
A yellow weather warning for wind has been issued for Sunday across the UK, except Shetland and southeast England.
The warning runs for 24 hours from 6am on Sunday, and the Met Office warned winds of up to 70mph could hit exposed coasts, with up to 60mph inland.
Yellow weather warnings for rain also cover most of Wales, the northwest of England and southwest and central Scotland from northwest of Inverness to Glasgow.
The warnings for Scotland will last from midday on Sunday until midnight, while the warnings for Wales and England will last 24 hours from 6am on Sunday.
Image: Yellow weather warnings for Sunday. Pic: Met Office
‘Windy weather for many and some heavy rain’
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist David Hayter said: “Conditions will stay cold on Friday, but a change in weather type is on the way, bringing milder air for the UK during the course of the weekend.
“This change will initially be relatively benign in terms of weather impacts, with a dry Friday and start to Saturday for many in the south of the UK.
“The Atlantic influence will then introduce some wet and windy weather, with a deep area of low pressure approaching from the west on Sunday.
“While detail is still being worked out, we expect windy weather for many and some heavy rain in the west and so we’ve issued warnings for Sunday for wind and rain. Watch out for updates to these warnings on Friday and Saturday as the forecast develops.”
The exception to the warmer start to the weekend is in northern and western Scotland, with showers set to continue on Friday ahead of some rain on Saturday.
Snow melt and continued rain over the weekend could bring an additional hazard for those in the north of Scotland.
A 53-year-old man has been charged after a car was driven into a crowd at Liverpool FC’s trophy parade.
Paul Doyle, from the West Derby area of Liverpool, has been charged with seven offences, Merseyside Police said.
The businessman, who is a father-of-three, is accused of two counts of unlawful and malicious wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and two counts of causing unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Image: Paul Doyle
Doyle is also accused of two counts of attempted unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and one count of dangerous driving.
He is due to appear before Liverpool Magistrates Court on Friday.
The charges relate to six people, including two children. A wounding charge and an attempted grievous bodily harm charge relate to a child.
A police car was outside Doyle’s four-bedroom detached family home in the West Derby area on Thursday morning.
According to his social media, he has travelled extensively including Japan, Fiji, India and Australia. Doyle has posted pictures of himself competing in triathlons, and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
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New Liverpool incident footage
Thousands of fans were gathered in Liverpool city centre on Monday to celebrate the Premier League champions’ title win when a car struck a crowd on Water Street.
Police said a total of 79 people were injured in the incident, with the youngest aged nine, and the oldest being a 78-year-old.
Seven people remain in hospital in a stable condition.
Image: Forensic officers at the scene in Water Street. Pic: PA
‘Huge volume of evidence’
Chief crown prosecutor for the CPS Mersey-Cheshire, Sarah Hammond, told a news conference on Thursday that the investigation was at an early stage and a “huge volume of evidence” was being reviewed.
“This includes multiple pieces of video footage and numerous witness statements. It is important to ensure that every victim gets the justice they deserve.
“The charges will be kept under review as the investigation progresses.”
Police ‘working tirelessly’
Also at the briefing where the charges were announced was Assistant Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Jenny Sims, who said: “I fully understand how this incident has left us all shocked and saddened, and I know many will continue to have concerns and questions.
“Our detectives are working tirelessly, with diligence and professionalism, to seek the answer to all of those questions. When we are able to, we will provide further information.”
A body has been found in the search for a missing teenage girl who fell into a reservoir, police have said.
West Yorkshire Police confirmed they recovered a body from the Baitings Reservoir, near Ripponden, on Thursday afternoon.
A formal identification is yet to take place, but police believe the body to be that of the missing teenage girl.
The girl’s family have been informed.
Emergency services were called to the reservoir at 1.17pm on Wednesday following reports that a teenage girl had fallen into the water from Baitings Dam.
Police, fire and ambulance crews, as well as an underwater search team, were deployed to the scene for the search, which continued on Thursday until a body was found.
Detective Inspector Laura Hall of Calderdale’s Safeguarding Team said: “While formal identification is yet to take place, the girl’s family have been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers.
“My thoughts go out to her family and friends at this very sad time.
“Our enquiries are continuing into the death in order to establish exactly what happened yesterday, but we do not believe it to be suspicious.”
Officers have until Thursday evening to question the man from West Derby.
He is in custody on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving and drug driving.
Police believe the car which struck pedestrians was able to follow an ambulance crew attending to someone suffering a heart attack after a road block was temporarily lifted.
Hundreds of thousands of Liverpool fans had turned out to celebrate their team’s Premier League title when the incident unfolded on Water Street just after 6pm on Monday.
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‘My boy in his pram, got bounced’
‘The best day of my life turned into worst’
Sky News interviewed a lifelong Liverpool fan who said his five-month-old son was “bounced” 15ft (4.6m) in his pram after they were hit by the vehicle.
The child was not counted in the police’s injury tally.
Daniel Eveson, 36, also said his partner had been driven over.
“The best day of my life turned into [the] worst,” Mr Eveson said.
He added: “Me and my partner were flat on the roof, on the bonnet… we were just both trying to hold on for dear life with Ted next to us.
“And my partner went under the wheels of the car, of the front of the car, and it rolled over her leg, and I just bounced off to the side, but my boy and his pram got bounced totally in the opposite direction – about 15ft down the road.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Liverpool to meet with police chiefs and the local metro mayor.
He said he was being kept informed of developments, adding: “The scenes on Monday were just awful, to see how incredible joy at an amazing achievement turned to horror in a moment.”
Messages of support have been sent to the people of Liverpool, including from the King who said: “I know that the strength of community spirit for which your city is renowned will be a comfort and support to those in need.”