UK weather: Britain colder than South Pole this weekend with snow and ice forecast by Met Office

Mercury set to plunge to -15C in Scotland on Saturday night

Snow is already covering parts of the UK (Rex Features)

Parts of the UK are expected to be colder than the South Pole this weekend, forecasters say.

Warnings of snow and ice have been issued for some areas, with temperatures set to plunge as low as -15C in northern England and Scotland

Temperatures at the South Pole’s Rothera Point are currently hovering around -1C.

A spokesperson for the Met Office told the Independent: "Temperatures could fall to as low as -15C in northern England and Scotland."

The forecaster predicted a risk of severe frost across the UK and issued a yellow weather warning. A mean temperature of below 2C has been issued for the UK

The cold snap is predicted to last for longer than 48 hours and forecasters say there is a serious risk of ice and snow across the country.

"The coldest night in the UK will be on Saturday night when the temperature is predicted to drop to a freezing -7C in the south of England and between -7C and -15C in the north," said the Met Office spokesperson.

On Saturday night, the UK is likely to be even colder than Moscow, in Russia, which is expecting temperatures of -5C.

Public Health England has urged people, especially the elderly, to stay inside and keep warm, and advised that house temperatures be kept to a minimum of 18C. Heavy rainfall is also expected across the south of England.