UK weather: Snow blankets Britain as cold weather brings ice warnings on roads

Temperatures are expected to drop to freezing in the South and -3 in the North tonight

The Met Office have issued warnings of icy roads, after a band of rain, sleet and snow has moved across the country (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Many Londoners woke up to sleet and snow this morning - and the Met Office advises Britons to enjoy it while they can as it won't be settling.

Snow began to fall from around 6.30 am, when temperatures were around 1 degree Celsius and many early birds captured images and posted them to social media.

The Met Office has issued warnings of icy roads, after a band of rain, sleet and snow has moved across the country from northern Scotland to north-east and central England last night. The warning is expecting to expire by 3pm tomorrow.

The showers that spread southwards last night, have since turned into snow which is expected to settle over the high ground in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Tonight will be fairly cold, where temperatures are expected to drop to freezing in the south and -3 in the north.

The cold weather tonight means the Met Office's warning of risks of icy patches on roads will include tonight and tomorrow morning.

But only minor disruptions in travel are expected, with caution warnings for drivers added due to high winds.

The Met Office has said: “The combination of rain, sleet and snow and dropping temperatures will also lead to a risk of ice in places, particularly over high level routes on Saturday morning"

A Met Office spokesman told The Independent: “The cold winds will enhance the cold temperatures that will be around 5 to 6 degrees Celsius, but with the wind will feel more like freezing”.

The temperature has recently dropped after the second mildest start to November on record, and this is the coldest air of the season so far.

This weather has been caused by cold winds from an artic maritime air mass spreading across the country from the north, says the Met Office.

The weather is expected to move south later on this afternoon and leave most of England with a fine sunny, but cold day. Tomorrow there will be further wintery showers that will affect the western and eastern coasts the most.