Heavy snow and freezing rain is expected to hit parts of England and Wales this weekend, with the Met Office warning that there could be severe disruption in some areas.
New, more severe warnings cover the north of England, the Midlands and much of Wales, and are in place from Saturday evening and throughout Sunday.
Temperatures are forecast to drop as low as -10C overnight in rural Scotland and bitter conditions brought on by Arctic air are expected to continue next week.
The wintry conditions could cause power cuts, stranded vehicles, delayed or canceled rail and air travel and cut off some rural communities in the coming days, the Met Office has warned.
Met Office weather warnings include:
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An amber warning for snow and freezing rain covers most of Wales and central England, including the Midlands and the north-west cities of Liverpool and Manchester, from 18:00 on Saturday until noon on Sunday.
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A snow warning has been issued for most of Northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District from 21:00 on Saturday until midnight on Sunday.
BBC Weather predicts that 20-40cm (7.8-15.7in) of snow could fall in northern England and southern Scotland from late Saturday into Monday.
Wales and northern and central England are expected to see a more sustained period of snow and sleet, with 3-7cm of snow possible and 15-30cm at higher elevations.
Later on Sunday, temperatures are expected to cool in parts of the country, reaching 13C in London as opposed to Aberdeen where it could be just 2C.
People are urged to check for vulnerable people during winter.
The UK Health Security Agency issues warnings where temperatures may affect people's wellbeing, particularly those who are elderly or have health conditions.
NHS officials are warning the number of people with flu in hospital in England has risen sharply over Christmas.
The latest data shows that there were 5,000 patients in hospital with the virus at the end of last week – about 3.5 times more than the same week in 2023.
Frosty fields at Romney Marsh in Kent [PA]
Friday saw temperatures drop across the UK.
In England, they dropped to -7.5C in Shap, Cumbria, and -6.7C at Bournemouth Airport.
In Scotland, temperatures fell to -6.4C in Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway, while in Wales, the lowest temperature was -5.1C in Usk, and Northern Ireland recorded -5.7 C in Katesbridge.
Police are investigating whether Thursday night's crash on the A1 near Grantham, which resulted in the death of a seven-month-old boy, was linked to the stormy weather.
Three hikers had to be rescued overnight in the Cairngorms in Scotland after they got into trouble in wind and snow.
Age UK director Caroline Abrahams said the cold weather would bring the government's decision to cut winter fuel costs into “sharp relief”, adding that charities had already been contacted by people “worried about what to do”.
He urged the elderly to “do everything they can to stay warm” including risking spending more money on their heating. Ms Abrahams added that energy companies had a “responsibility to help” those who were struggling and there was likely to be support from local councils.
When asked about the cold weather, Health Secretary Wes Streeting revealed that Chancellor Rachel Reeves had saved the winter fuel bill for the “very poor pensioners” – those receiving pension bills. The cuts aim to save £1.5bn a year.
The Department for Work and Pensions said some postcodes will receive cold weather payments, allowing some households in postcodes with temperatures below 0C a £25 payment.
These included the postcodes of Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway, Redesdale in Northumberland, and Shap in Cumbria.
You can keep up to date with BBC weather forecasts online and in the application.
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