Temperatures could plunge to -10C as Met Office issues snow yellow warnings that cover nearly ALL of Britain

More widespread snowfall is forecast from Saturday, with the Midlands, Wales and northern England expected to see around 5cm of snow.

High ground in the Pennines might see a thicker blanket of snow, with forecasts suggesting between 20 to 30cm.

The extreme weather conditions have already impacted Scotland, where Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations, including street parties and fireworks, were cancelled due to safety concerns.

The UK Health Security Agency has activated a 72 hour yellow cold health alert, which began at 9am on Wednesday and runs until at least Saturday, warning of “significant impacts” to health and social care services across the country.

Officials cautioned that the severe weather could lead to an increase in deaths among elderly people and those with existing health conditions.

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The cold snap could also affect the delivery of care services, putting additional pressure on the healthcare system.

The Met Office’s yellow warning has indicated that potential power cuts and disruption to mobile phone coverage across affected areas, as rural communities might face being cut off due to the extreme weather conditions.

Travel disruption is expected across rail, road and air services throughout the warning period.

Tom Morgan, a Met Office meteorologist, explained the blanket warning was issued as a “heads up”, with more specific updates expected later in the week.

“It’s definitely going to start off as snow in many places, but it’s a question of how quickly that snow melts and turns back to rain,” said Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan.

Morgan urged people to stay updated on the forecast, particularly those with travel plans, advising: “It’s quite likely the warning will be updated quite frequently between now and the weekend. If you’ve got travel plans on Sunday and perhaps Monday, stay tuned into the forecast.”