Weather warnings are set to stay in place until the end of the weekend as Arctic conditions continue to grip the UK.
Another night of snow and subzero temperatures was recorded in many parts of the country in the early hours of Friday, with freak 'thundersnow' also reported in Scotland yesterday.
But the mercury now looks ready to plunge even further, with England facing lows of -6C this weekend and -12C even possible north of the border.
The Met Office have now extended existing yellow warnings for snow and ice until midday on Sunday in some areas of northern Scotland, with the north and west of England also under the advisory until Saturday evening.
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PA)Giving the chilly forecast for next few days, Met Office Chief Meteorologist Steve Willington said: "Showers will turn more wintry with an increasing risk of snow as the week progresses, particularly in coastal areas or over higher ground.
"There will be widespread frosts with temperatures falling to as low as -10°C overnight in isolated spots by the end of the week."
While many houses are now facing the daunting reality of turning up their thermostats in the middle of an energy crisis, others have been with no heating at all as a shocking gas outage in Sheffield continued into its seventh day.
A number of pubs and cafés in the Stannington area have opened this week to give residents a place to keep warm after water mains burst and severed a crucial gas pipe.
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Met Office)UK weather forecast:
Cold and frosty, wintry showers in places.
Today:
Wintry showers affecting northern Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and northwest England, with snow settling on hills. Sunny spells elsewhere, though a few freezing fog patches may persist. Cold for all.
Tonight:
Wintry showers continuing around exposed coasts, with some further accumulations on hills and the risk of icy surfaces. Clear spells elsewhere and a widespread frost. Some freezing fog in places.
Saturday:
Cold with widespread frost and some freezing fog patches at first, slow to clear in places and quick to reform later. Wintry showers again for exposed coasts. Winds mostly light.
Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:
Staying cold or very cold, with further wintry showers, mainly for coasts. Freezing fog is also likely in places, this slow to clear. Severe frosts likely by night.
