Households urged to put salt in car before Thursday

Drivers are being urged to put salt in their before Thursday as snow, rain and freezing temperatures return once more.

More snow, rain and freezing temperatures are set to smash the UK this week, including today and Tuesday in Scotland and then moving to the south of England and Wales by Thursday.

And even in the areas where snow won't be falling, heavy rain and freezing conditions will make life a little trickier for drivers.

When the weather is cold and wet, there’s one big problem which drivers battle with: condensation.

Wintry weather makes driving difficult at the best of times, including with flash flooding, ice, snow and sleet all affecting your grip, your car’s performance and your visibility. But it also brings another problem - condensation inside your car.

That’s why drivers are being urged to use salt in their car when the weather is cold and wet, as it’s a cheap and simple way to capture condensation before it forms, by drawing moisture out of the air.

Condensation forms when the warm air inside your car hits the cold surface of the glass, forming water which turns into mist as it cools. It forms overnight when temperatures are low, and it is a bigger problem in cold and wet weather.

The Met Office's weather maps show parts of the south of England can expect snow on Wednesday night, then snow moves to London on Thursday morning, while most of Wales also affected.

The Met Office said in its forecast for Wednesday to Friday: "Often dry in the north on Wednesday and Thursday, but with some rain and hill snow in the south. Frosty nights. Rain spreading in from the west on Friday."

And for Friday onwards, it adds: "Showers or longer spells of rain, as well as occasional strong winds, are most likely at first as Atlantic low pressure systems dominate in the vicinity of the UK. Some heavy rain is likely in places, with some snow probable at times, mainly on high ground in the north.

"Temperatures varying from around, or a little above, average especially in the south to cold at times, mainly in the north. Although unsettled weather is likely to dominate at first, there will be some drier interludes between weather systems. These drier interludes will become increasingly likely and perhaps more prolonged through the period."

John Wilmot, CEO of the vehicle leasing company LeaseLoco.com, urged drivers to put a bowl of salt in their car. He advised: "Placing a small bowl of salt in your car overnight is a clever way to help with this problem as it absorbs any excess moisture in the air that is making the problem worse.

"This is a great trick for when the temperatures drop and can save you time in the mornings."