Freezing weather will grip Britain for weeks to come, forecasters warned last night – with rain, sleet and snow expected across the country. Severe weather warnings have been in place, with Scotland and North East England experiencing the worst of the weather, and snowfalls of up to 40cm in some areas. There was also snow yesterday across parts of Wales, the West Midlands and Cornwall and temperatures across the country struggled to rise above zero even in the major cities. Picture shows walkers enjoying the snow in Jesmond Dene, Newcastle.