Exact date Met Office predicts ‘three days of snow’ to blanket UK

Temperatures are set to drop well below zero.

The national forecaster has warned of severe frost and ice for Friday, with London potentially reaching -5C, Glasgow -6C, and both Birmingham and Manchester dropping to -7C.

Now the Met Office have issued an amber cold weather alert covering the whole of England, but are not in place for the rest of the UK.

Scotland will face the coldest conditions with -10C expected in parts of the country, with snow expected to begin today and reach parts of the south across Saturday and Sunday.

Up to 20cm of snowfall is forecast for higher grounds of the Pennines and parts of Wales, while an Atlantic frontal system takes hold.

The Met Office describes the snow as "heavy" during this period, with the yellow warning in place between midday on Saturday and 9am on Monday.

The forecaster said: "Outbreaks of rain spreading northeastwards later on Saturday and overnight into Sunday will likely be preceded by a spell of snow on its northern flank.

"Whilst there is a fair bit of uncertainty as to how far north this may spread, and how long any snow will last, significant accumulations of snow are possible, especially on hills."

Travel delays are expected, with a possibility of power cuts in places.

Extreme weather conditions have already been responsible for disruptions to plans and public events in recent days.

On New Year's Eve, Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations, including street parties and fireworks, were cancelled due to safety concerns.

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.