Britain shivers as overnight temperatures drop as low as -3C and the weekend will be even colder with SNOW across much of the country
- Temperatures in the next few days will be up to 5C colder than expected at this time of year
- Met Office has ice warnings for South West England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
- London could see snow tonight and temperatures could drop as low as -3C in the Midlands
- There will be widespread frost this weekend, with showers and 2in of snow in the Grampians
Snow is forecast to hit Britain tonight with temperatures dropping below freezing as Britain braces itself for the mercury to plunge to -5C by the weekend in the second wave of this year's big freeze.
Temperatures in the next few days will be up to 5C colder than expected at this time of year, and the Met Office has issued warnings for ice in parts of South West England as well as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
London could see snow tonight and temperatures could drop as low as -3C in the Midlands, while there will be widespread frost this weekend, with showers and more than two inches of snow in the Grampians.
The City of London skyline is covered in thick mist this morning ahead of possible snow flakes falling tonight
Age UK has urged older people to take precautions in the cold weather to keep themselves 'safe and well'.
Met Office meteorologist Emma Sillitoe told MailOnline: 'Over the weekend we're going to see further sleet and snow showers coming in from the east - it's over the Grampians we're going to see 5cm and 6cm fall.
'Further south you could see a centimetre too. Even tonight the temperature in London could get down to freezing and there are a few light showers around so we could see a few flakes.
'As we head into the weekend, especially overnight in London, temperatures Friday night into Saturday morning are -2C. We could see down to -5C around Glasgow and Aberdeen.
'Saturday day itself we've still got mostly light showers coming in from the east and by daytime on Saturday temperatures in London are getting up to 5C and, in the Midlands, 4C.
Temperatures will start to 'struggle' from tomorrow, dropping in London from 7C today to 4C. The North East coast, including Newcastle, will see temperatures of 3C with rain and sleet.
Tomorrow night, some parts of the UK will be between -3C and -4C. Friday will also be cold, with widespread frost overnight into Saturday. There may be snow on Sunday, with higher ground seeing as much as 6cm (2.4in).
The Met Office said the colder spell was due to easterly winds from Scandinavia. 'It's going to be on higher ground that we see any of the showers turn into show,' Ms Sillitoe added.
Age UK said cold weather can have a 'devastating impact' on the health of older people, causing increased blood pressure and raising the risk of chest infections.
A farm building in Teesdale, County Durham, was surrounded by snow yesterday after wintry showers fell over higher ground
A motorist carefully drives along a snow lined road in Teesdale yesterday as temperatures dropped below freezing again
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: 'The cold weather can be really challenging for older people, particularly those who are more vulnerable because of pre-existing health conditions or who are living in housing that is difficult and expensive to heat.
'It can also be an especially lonely time, if older people feel it is too cold to go out and about. With the weather set to take a turn for the worse, we are urging people to check our advice to make sure they are doing everything they can to protect themselves against the cold weather.
'We'd also urge people to keep an eye on their older family members, friends or neighbours when the weather is particularly bad. Picking up some shopping for them or just popping in to check they're okay and having a friendly chat can be a real help at this time of year.'
Monday of last week was the coldest night of the year so far, with -10.1C recorded in Braemar, Aberdeenshire. The coldest UK temperature of 2016 was -12.4C at Kinbrace, while in 2015 it was -13.7C at Loch Glascarnoch.
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