Britain is braced for a wintry weekend as temperatures drop to -3C in some areas and snow falls across swathes of the country.
After a relatively mild week, traditional November conditions will arrive in earnest tonight as temperatures fall below freezing around the country and two inches of snow is dumped on some parts.
Following a day of snowfall in Scotland today, the wintry showers will move in over England and Wales overnight, with snow expected to fall in the South West and North as well as the hills around the Midlands.
The snowy and frosty conditions set to hit England and Wales this weekend have already arrived in Scotland. This bus to Inverness drove along frosty road through a snow-covered landscape this morning
Public health officials are warning people around the country to get ready for winter to arrive in earnest tonight
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for ice in parts of the UK tonight and Public Health England has told people to take precautions as temperatures look set to drop.
Widespread frosts will make roads treacherous in the morning with up to two inches of snow possible in some areas over 300m.
The weather warning, which is in place from 5pm on Friday to 10am on Saturday, has been issued for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland and Wales as well as the north of England, Yorkshire and the West Midlands.
A Met Office forecaster said: ‘A band of rain, sleet and snow showers will move from the North West to South East across the yellow area through Friday, clearing during the early hours of Saturday, followed by further wintry showers.
‘Icy patches are likely to form on untreated surfaces as temperatures fall.’
Public Health England reminded people to be prepared ahead of the cold weather, with temperatures expected to fall below zero in some areas before Saturday.
Wintry showers will fall in the south-west and Wales overnight, while lack of cloud over Britain will cause widespread frost
It was a cold morning as dawn broke around St Mary’s Lighthouse on the north east coast this morning
Dunstanburgh Castle ruins in Alnwick, Northumberland, sat under a starry sky last night as temperatures dropped
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for ice over the western half of the country (left) and satellite images show snow clouds moving in from the North Atlantic (right)
Dr Thomas Waite, of their Extreme Events team, said: ‘We’re well used to winter in this country so most people know what to do to protect their health before and during cold spells.
‘But there are people who may not take precautions and who are at a very real risk.
‘We know that every winter thousands of people fall ill and many die because of exposure to cold both in the home and while outdoors.
‘Those most at risk include older people, very young children and those with conditions like heart and lung disease.
‘That’s why every cold season we urge people to look out for family, friends and neighbours who may be at risk. Ask yourself if you could check on a neighbour to see if there’s anything they need?’
Cars and vans are getting stuck and struggling to drive in the snow today on the Lecht Road in the Cairngorms yesterday
A car travels along a snow lined road from Cumbria into Northumberland yesterday, as snow started to settle in the Pennines
Dr Waite added: ‘We know that more deaths occur every winter in the UK than in the summer due to a wide range of causes including cold weather, influenza and other respiratory infections.
‘The flu vaccination is the best protection we have against flu and it’s really important to have it if you are eligible.’
Paul Gundersen, chief operational meteorologist at the Met Office, said: ‘Colder air has now reached most parts of England, with temperatures expected to fall further by Saturday, when the cold will be accentuated by strengthening winds.’
Figures earlier this week showed there were more than 34,000 ‘excess deaths’ across England and Wales over the last winter period, the second highest level in eight years.
The Office for National Statistics said the rise was likely to be due to a ‘predominant strain of flu prevalent during the 2016 to 2017 winter’.
Emergency services help residents in Llangefni on Anglesey in North Wales this week after the area was hit by flooding