Temperatures could plunge to lows of -10C this weekend as the Met Office has issued yellow warnings for snow covering almost all of Britain on Sunday.
The dramatic temperature drop is expected to continue today, with Scotland facing the coldest conditions of -10C in snow-covered areas.
Now, the Met Office has extended their previous yellow snow and ice warning - which spanned across Scotland and northern England - to include areas further south beyond London.
Major cities will also face freezing conditions, with London potentially reaching -5C, Glasgow -6C, and both Birmingham and Manchester dropping to -7C.
Snow is expected to begin in northern Scotland with an ice warning in place across the north of England as well.
Sunday's weather warnings which have been issued by the Met Office
Met Office
More widespread snowfall is forecast from Saturday, with the Midlands, Wales and northern England expected to see around 5cm of snow.
High ground in the Pennines might see a thicker blanket of snow, with forecasts suggesting between 20 to 30cm.
The extreme weather conditions have already impacted Scotland, where Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations, including street parties and fireworks, were cancelled due to safety concerns.
The UK Health Security Agency has activated a 72 hour yellow cold health alert, which began at 9am on Wednesday and runs until at least Saturday, warning of "significant impacts" to health and social care services across the country.
Officials cautioned that the severe weather could lead to an increase in deaths among elderly people and those with existing health conditions.
LATEST WEATHER UPDATES:
The cold snap could also affect the delivery of care services, putting additional pressure on the healthcare system.
The Met Office's yellow warning has indicated that potential power cuts and disruption to mobile phone coverage across affected areas, as rural communities might face being cut off due to the extreme weather conditions.
Travel disruption is expected across rail, road and air services throughout the warning period.
Tom Morgan, a Met Office meteorologist, explained the blanket warning was issued as a "heads up", with more specific updates expected later in the week.
"It's definitely going to start off as snow in many places, but it's a question of how quickly that snow melts and turns back to rain," said Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan.
Morgan urged people to stay updated on the forecast, particularly those with travel plans, advising: "It's quite likely the warning will be updated quite frequently between now and the weekend. If you've got travel plans on Sunday and perhaps Monday, stay tuned into the forecast."
Widespread snowfall is forecast from Saturday, with the Midlands, Wales and northern England expected to see around 5cm of snow (Stock)
PA
A major incident was declared in Greater Manchester yesterday, where flooding has already caused significant disruption.
Mountain rescue teams and fire services joined police efforts as cars and roads were submerged, leading to hundreds of residents being evacuated.
Over the previous two days, the north west of England has experienced almost a month's worth of rain.
