Arctic winds will make it feel like minus 13C as six inches of snow sweeps in
The UK is braced for more snow across large parts of the country as a cold weather front sweeps in, prompting warnings of travel disruption and health fears.
The Met Office said showers were expected to turn to snow across parts of northern Scotland transferring to other areas on Wednesday and Thursday.
They said more frequent snow showers may affect parts of southern and central Scotland through the evening peak travel period. Words: PA
A cold weather front is to sweep in with temperatures expected to drop as much as 10C to below zero overnight into Thursday.
Forecasters have asked the public to be aware of possible disruption to travel, while health officials urged people to take extra care.
Around 3-8cm of snow is predicted to fall over parts of northern England, possibly reaching as far as Yorkshire and Humber and the Midlands, and up to 5-10cm of snow could blanket much of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
A Met Office forecast said: "An active cold front is expected to push south east across the UK, introducing an increasingly cold and unstable air mass.
"Showers will become frequent and heavy, falling primarily as snow and driven well inland by strong to gale force northwesterly winds.
"Commuters and other travellers seem likely to face a variety of winter hazards, although it's likely that snowfall in some areas may be more patchy, particularly towards the east."
Billy Payne of forecaster MeteoGroup said: "We will certainly notice a drop in temperatures from in the region of 10C to 4C or 5C and widely dropping below zero overnight - down to minus 5C in high ground in the north."
While the cold weather is set to remain into early next week, Mr Payne said, it is unlikely the UK could experience an impact from the heavy blizzards hitting much of the north-eastern coast of the US.
Meanwhile, Dr Angie Bone, head of extreme events team at Public Health England, said: "In this sort of weather we know that older people and people in poor health tend to stay indoors.
"While this is sensible, it's worth remembering these people may need help getting to a hospital or GP appointment, with shopping or prescription fetching, or just someone to talk to. If you know someone in this situation, and most of us do, think about what you can you do to help out.
"Contrary to popular belief, it's actually working age adults who have most slips and trips outside in cold and icy weather, not older people, which is why it's important to wear shoes with a good, slip-resistant grip to prevent any accidental falls."
Road operator Bear Scotland said it has been preparing its winter fleet to start early on this morning, with up to 90 vehicles ready to work around the clock.
Teams in the north east and north west have winter action plans in place with salt treatments beginning from 4am across all affected routes,
Eddie Ross, north west operating company representative, said: "We urge road users to drive to the conditions as this further period of wintry weather sets in. It is essential to check for up to date travel information before setting out on a journey and ensure you and your vehicle are well prepared for winter conditions.
"As the snow will be showery, the conditions may be favourable at the start of your journey however are likely to change so tuning into radio updates or social media is important."
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