
This image shows the mighty winter storm barrelling towards Britain, where it is predicted to dump 19 inches of snow and up to a foot of rain in a fortnight of torrid weather.

Winds as high as 70mph are set to batter the nation, prompting the Met Office to issue wind and ice warnings for the entirety of the country.

The oncoming storm was pictured from above by a NASA satellite moving across a cloud-strewn Atlantic on Saturday. Scotland is set to be the worst-hit part of the country.

Scroll down for video

This satellite image reveals the thick cloud cover across the British Isles, as gale-force winds sweep in from the Atlantic

CLouds are shown here covering most of Europe and parts of Africa as the storm heads towards the British Isles

Motorists in northern Scotland face major disruptions on the roads with up to 19in of snow expected to fall on higher ground over the next 24 hours.

The a two-day yellow ‘be aware’ warning remains in place for the whole of England and Wales as strong westerly gales sweep in from the Atlantic, uprooting trees and whipping up massive waves.

Towns including Bognor Regis, Portsmouth and parts of Ayrshire are among the areas that have suspended their festive plans due to windy weather, with gusts of up to 70mph forecast around some exposed coastal areas and winds between 50-60 mph expected inland.

Winds could cause travel disruptions to Irish Sea and cross-Channel ferry services and passengers have been advised to check before they travel.

Three cyclists shelter themselves from the spray as strong winds and high tides cause huge waves in Blackpool this afternoon

This graphic shows the snow expected to fall over the weekend, with the red areas indicating the most intense snowfall. Credit: MetDesk

Storm-force winds and high tides bring huge waves crashing into Aberystwyth on the west Wales coast this morning

This graphic shows the westerly winds sweeping across the Atlantic Oceans that will bring gusts of up to 70mph to Britain this weekend

Local authorities across Scotland have cancelled their switch-on celebrations - including Irvine in North Ayrshire, which was expecting an appearance from The Only Way Is Essex Star James Lock - as the country faces snow on higher ground.

Britons have been told to take extra care due to the localised storm-force gusts with coastal areas expected to be the worst hit. The wind will bring with it a band of rain, which will move southwards from the north of England and drench swathes of the country until the end of next week.

Rain warnings are also in place for tomorrow as continued wet weather threatens to cause localised flooding. There could be more than 11in of rainfall on areas of higher ground over the weekend, according to the Met Office.

There is also a chance that the heavy snowfall in the north of the UK could affect high level roads, and motorists have been urged to take extra care.

A Met Office forecaster told MailOnline there is broadly a very unsettled picture across all parts of the UK today.

A car was crushed after an enormous tree was blown over in high winds that swept across Sutton, Greater London, overnight

Forecasters have issued a yellow warning covering the whole of England and Wales for Saturday and Sunday (left and centre) with even more wet weather expected on Monday (right)

Two young women walk along the waterfront in Brighton, which was covered in water from the stormy sea

A man throws open his arms as a massive wave crashes against the pier in Brighton, East Sussex, this afternoon

But there is already a large area of wet and windy weather moving into Ireland and Scotland and this will move eastwards through the course of the day, bringing rain to most parts of the country by nightfall.

More than 11 inches of rain could fall over higher ground in western Britain today. The Met Office has issued rain warnings across north-east England tomorrow between 6am and 1pm as heavy showers continue to fall on already saturated ground.

This weather warning is expanded on Monday and Tuesday to cover Wales and north-west England, where rain on saturated ground could cause some localised flooding.

£1.4BILLION TO FIGHT COLD WAR AS 11MILLION BRITS INSIST ON KEEPING THEIR HOME WARM AS BARCELONA Chilly Britons will turn up their heating so much this winter, it will cost £1.4 billion extra in energy bills. Up to 11 million people will make their homes as hot as the average summer’s day in Barcelona in a bid to stay cosy. The recommended temperature for homes in the winter is between 18C and 21C, but turning up thermostats one extra degree can increase bills by an average £129, or ten per cent. Despite the extra cost, 11 million would rather stay warm, according to a study by price comparison site uSwitch.com. The biggest culprits are Londoners, with 39 per cent admitting they turn their thermostat past 21C. More than half of women also confess to having the heating too high. Advertisement

This three-day forecast shows how most parts of the country will be hit by heavy rain, while parts of Scotland could see some snow

A tree was uprooted in Cheam, Surrey overnight, as strong westerly winds swept across the UK amid weather warnings

Waves lash the seafront in Aberystwyth, west Wales, this morning ahead of what is expected to be a wet and windy day for much of the UK

A couple watch as waves crash over the beach in Brighton, East Sussex, as Britain braces for a wet and windy weekend

Huge waves lash the coast at Porthcawl, South Wales, this morning as the Met Office issued a weather warning for high winds

Strong winds whipped up waves along the seafront of Porthcawl, South Wales, as Britain braced for more wet and windy weather

But despite the unsettled weather, temperatures are expected to remain for most of the UK, except for the northern half of Scotland.

Met Office meteorologist Emma Sharples said: 'There's a strong westerly wind coming off the Atlantic and there is a strong jet stream at the moment which is part of it. When these winds come in a straight line, there's nothing to slow them down, and we are the first place to be hit.

'We have a weather warning in place for all of England and Wales and, although the highest winds will be seen in coastal areas, there will also be winds of up to 55mph inland.

'There is also a band of rain moving southwards tomorrow and behind it there is slightly colder air, meaning the showers will turn wintry through the afternoon on Saturday. '

Rowers head out on the River Cam in Cambridge, which is expected to see some fine and bright weather this morning before rain later

Braving the chilly morning temperatures, rowers made the most of the dry start to the day before rain sweeps in this afternoon

Stormy weather sweeps into Aberystwyth on the coast of west Wales this morning, left, as a rainbow offers a glimmer of calm, right

Rowers on the River Cam, Cambridge, enjoy some early morning sunshine. Strong winds and heavy rains are expected later today

Braving the chilly early morning temperatures, a cyclist looks at rowers on the still waters of the River Cam

Meanwhile, winds speeds will strengthen from the west this morning with coastlines exposed to the west and south west experiencing 60mph gusts, the Met Office said.

The wind speeds could drop on Saturday night but will be even stronger on Sunday when western coasts could see 70mph gusts.

The warning said: 'Please be aware of the potential for some disruption due to the strong winds.'

Forecasters warn that the unsettled weather is due to continue until the end of next week, as temperatures dip and wintry showers continue with inland areas not quite as windy as at the coast but could still see speeds over 50mph.

Rains could continue for the days to follow as well, with occasional downpours striking for as far as accurate forecasts are available.

So much for global warming! As this year's snows get started, 'snow lover' reveals there's MORE of the white stuff left on Scottish mountains than last year

There were bumper levels of snow on Scottish mountains over the last 12 months, according to one enthusiast.

Amateur snow researcher Iain Cameron, 42, uses his free time to count the number of snow patches left on mountaintops from the previous winter. His data is compiled and published in the prestigious Royal Meteorological Journal.

Mr Cameron, an environmental manager for an aerospace company, said since he started 21 years ago, he has recorded an average of between six to 12 patches of snow each year. But this year Mr Cameron, who works with a team of volunteers, noted 73 spots had survived from winter 2014.

Stunning: A large snow patch recorded above Loch Avon in the Cairngorms, with two of the volunteers pictured on the right

Dedicated: Enthusiast Iain Cameron stands beneath an impressive snow patch seen on Creag Meagaidh in the Cairngorms

Bumper year: Some of the team seen photographing a patch at Geal-Charn in the Cairngorms, which has survived since last winter

The team tallied 33 individual patches across the Ben Nevis range, 17 across the Cairngorms, 12 in the north-west Highlands, three on Ben Alder, and eight near Loch Laggan. And in the Grey Corries range in the far north, a sole surviving patch was recorded on Stob Coire an Laoigh.

Mr Cameron said: 'This year we counted 73 remaining patches across the whole of Scotland. It's the most we've seen since 1994, 21 years ago, which was quite an exceptional year.

'The only year which came near this year's figure was in 2000 where we totalled 41 surviving patches, but that's still far, far fewer than we recorded this year. Normally we're looking at between six to 12 patches - last year was a good year with 21, but this has exceeded that.

'There was also a good covering of snow last year, but the average temperature in May was two degrees lower than we would normally expect and the summer was cool, which is why there are so many left.'

Mr Cameron, a self-proclaimed 'chinophile' - the Greek term for 'snow lover' said he believed an overcast spring and cool summer combined with heavy snowfall has led to the above-average findings.

Natural beauty: Mr Cameron, an environmental manager for an aerospace company, works with a team of fellow enthusiasts

A snow patch on Creag Meagaidh in the Cairngorms, is one of 73 that has been recorded as surviving since last winter