WORCESTERSHIRE is bracing itself for an "Arctic turn" over the weekend as more snow is forecast and a warning for freezing temperatures is issued.

The warnings come after a blustery few days, some snow fall and rising river levels, which have prompted flood alerts in Worcestershire for the River Severn.

Ian Michaelwaite, of Netweather.TV in Pershore, said the cold spell could last for up to a week and that more snow could well be on the way.

He said: "It will turn Arctic at the weekend and Friday we will be feeling the cold. Over the weekend we can expect to see snow and sleet and temperatures could drop to -5 overnight. The cold spell will hang around for about a week as January finally remembers that winter is supposed to be happening."

Last night (Wednesday), winds of up to 50mph blasted Worcester and 15 to 20ml of rain fell in the area, meaning a flood alert is now also in place for the River Severn in Worcester, with levels expected to peak at between 3.6 and 4.1 metres.

But despite the warnings Dave Throup, environment agency manager for Worcestershire, said as things stand it won't be anything like last year.

"We are expecting levels similar to just before Christmas," he said. "They are going to be normal winter levels. It will probably come out over the footpaths and minor road ways around the Cathedral like at Christmas, but we are not expecting any property flooding.

"It's certainly not like last year. The Kempsey flood scheme will be working and the Upton gates will be up but these are low level things.

"And the forecast is for a few clear days so that should give us a break, although we won't see a peak in the river levels until Saturday."

The Met Office has issued a level two cold weather warning for the West Midlands as there is a 70 percent chance of freezing conditions.

Despite the bad weather and high winds of this week Wednesday proved a quiet night for the emergency services, and although today has been a brighter day people are still reminded to take extra care when travelling as the icy weather hits.

The New Street flood gates in Upton were closed this evening.