- .Britain's big freeze is set to continue for the rest of the weekend with temperatures plummeting well below zero
- .Cold could kill one person every seven minutes with one million elderly people unable to heat homes, Age UK warns
- .More snow is on the way this evening and tomorrow night after as much as six inches fell in parts of Cumbria
- .Swathes of the south of England will be hit by 'wintry showers', with at least a dusting of snow forecast for tonight
- .Temperatures will drop to -15C in Scotland and -10C in the Pennines on Sunday night, the Met Office says
The Arctic blast which swept Britain today could kill one person very seven minutes, a charity has warned, with temperatures set to plummet even further and yet more snow on the way.
Almost a million elderly people are at risk from the bitter cold as they cannot afford to heat their homes, Age UK warned last night.
But the big freeze is expected to continue throughout the weekend and into Monday with the mercury forecast to drop as low as -15C following a night which saw six inches of snow fall in some parts of the country.
Father and son duo Craig and Christopher Wallace took on the snow this morning as they went sledging in Eaglesham, Glasgow
The snow came just in time for the weekend for schoolchildren who were out enjoying the wintry weather that has hit Britain
There was a more peaceful scene in Dartmoor, where frost covered the moors as dog walkers enjoyed the crisp conditions
A blanket of snow covered much of Britain this morning, including in West Yorkshire where temperatures fell well below zero overnight
A snow plough clears the A66 in Cumbria after up to six inches fell in parts of the county overnight, with more snow expected throughout the weekend
Those who dared go out in freezing conditions near Blencathra in Cumbria could just about make out its snowy peak through the mist
Warning: Almost a million elderly people are at risk from the bitter cold as they cannot afford to heat their homes, Age UK said
Lorries trundle through the snow in Cumbria as Britain is gripped by freezing conditions which are set to remain for the rest of the weekend
A blanket of snow covered much of the UK this morning, with as much as six inches in parts of Cumbria and the Lake District, according to the Met Office.
Freezing temperatures were experienced by much of the nation as snow fell across most of Scotland, the north of England and the south-west.
The Chilterns, Cotswolds and the Pennines were also hit by snow, while gritters were out once more to deal with ice on the roads, with the south told to expect more 'wintry showers' and a dusting of snow tonight.
Age UK's charity director Caroline Abrahams said the cold would put almost a million elderly people at risk as they cannot afford to heat their homes.
'The cold weather can be particularly dangerous for older people who are more at risk of suffering health problems when the temperature drops,' she said.
'It's a shocking fact that this winter one older person could die every seven minutes from the cold.
'With just under one million older people living in fuel poverty, many simply cannot afford to heat their homes to a temperature high enough to keep warm and well.
'We are calling for the Government to commit to improving the energy efficiency of homes across the country in order to provide a long-lasting solution to the scandal of fuel poverty and preventable winter deaths.'
West Yorkshire got a smattering of snow overnight, with forecasters predicting another deluge over the next 48 hours at least
A man grits a snow covered road near Ripponden in West Yorkshire as temperatures will plunge below freezing across large swathes of the UK
It was a wintry sight near Saddleworth, West Yorkshire, this morning, where the hilly landscape was served more than a sprinkling of snow
Country lanes were covered in snow in parts of Yorkshire this morning, with more snow forecast for the next few days
The big freeze is expected to continue throughout the weekend and into Monday with the mercury forecast to drop as low as -15C in Scotland and -10 in the north west
Two horses gallop through a snow-covered field in the Chilterns, where wintry showers are expected once more tonight and on Sunday evening
A snow plough clears the roads in Cumbria, with drivers warned of icy conditions throughout Britain today
The Arctic blast which swept Britain today could kill one person very seven minutes, charity Age Uk warned
A snow plough clears the worst of the snow from the A66 in Cumbria as people travel through the challenging conditions
Met Office forecaster Calum MacColl said temperatures plunged to -6.5C near Inverness overnight, but that the cold would only get worse throughout the weekend, with temperatures dropping to -15C on Sunday night.
He said: 'The wintry showers will go in Scotland on Saturday night, but they will be replaced by clear skies on Sunday, shortly after dusk.
'We could be in for minus double digits in Scotland, perhaps even -15C. In high ground further south, for instance the Pennines, we could be looking at -10C.
'Tonight we'll see more wintry showers - a mixture of sleet and snow - with southern England could get a bit of a dusting.
'North and western areas will see wet snow and sleet, while the south-west may get snow as it comes in from west to east.'
'There will be a severe frost across the north and most of Scotland with temperatures of around -8C in places tonight.'
Dr Angie Bone, from Public Health England, warned vulnerable people to keep themselves warm over the weekend as the cold bites.
She said: 'When indoors, have plenty of warm food and drinks to stay warm and try to maintain indoor temperatures to at least 18C, particularly if you are not mobile, have long-term illness or are 65 or over.'
Snow covered the fields in Reeth, North Yorkshire, this morning, as the Met Office issued an amber warning over the wintry weather
Jill Armstrong encountered something of an Arctic tundra as she made her way on skis to the Tan Hill pub in North Yorkshire
One way of keeping warm: A man runs through Richmond Park, south west London, this morning, where snow is yet to fall
Freezing temperatures were experienced by much of the nation as snow fell across most of Scotland, the north of England and the south-west
London has as yet avoided the snow, with two deers rutting in Richmond Park this morning where frost covered the ground
Age UK's charity director Caroline Abrahams said the cold would put almost a million elderly people were at risk as they cannot afford to heat their homes
Crisp and clear: Frost covered the fields of Richmond Park as the sun rose early this morning as the wintry weather continued
Tranquil: Runners and walkers brave the cold for a bit of early morning fresh air as dawn broke today
Icy conditions led to more crashes on the roads this morning in Dorset, where the A35 Upton bypass was shut because of 'nightmare' conditions.
There were also reports of a crash between a lorry and cars around Lytchett, near Poole, and a truck is blocking the road after its tyres could not grip the icy surface on steep hill near the village.
Public transport is not faring much better in the south-west, with no trains running between Bournemouth and Weymouth because of icy rails.
Bus drivers in Plymouth were also warned not to pick up passengers queueing at some stops because of the dangerous ice.
And the travel chaos is likely to affect the Monday morning commute because of the freeze expected on Sunday night.
Yesterday the Met Office issued a level three amber alert - the second highest - for the North East and the North West of England as well as Yorkshire and Humber last night, with average temperatures set to fall below 2C.
The deep freeze brought 2cm and 6cm of snow in Northern Ireland, Scotland and the north of England throughout last night and the early hours of tonight, with snow expected further south soon.
Met Office forecaster Laura Young said the cold weather was set to continue for the rest of the weekend.
She said: 'It doesn't really warm up in Scotland and northern parts of England all weekend, so there is a very good potential for ice on Sunday. People really need to be aware of that.
'Basically, snow and sleet, then it becomes very, very clear, but then the temperatures really drop, and then it freezes.'
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