Sarah Keith Lucas,Lead weather presenter and
Ian Aikman
PA Media
Major roads were affected on Thursday after snow blanketed parts of the country
The UK had its coldest night of the autumn so far, as temperatures fell as low as -12.6C overnight in Scotland – the lowest temperature recorded on a November night in 15 years.
The mercury fell to -7.2C in Wales, -6C in Northern Ireland and -6.7C in England on what was also the coldest night for the UK as a whole since 11 January.
Cold health alerts have been issued for England meaning there could be “significant impacts” to the elderly and people with health conditions, while a yellow ice warning is in place in the north-east of England.
It comes on the last day of a cold snap, which brought widespread disruption and several inches of snow to parts of the country this week.
In England, amber cold-health alerts have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) until 08:00 GMT on Saturday for the North West, North East, and Yorkshire and Humber, with all other areas under less severe yellow alerts.
The alerts warn of risks to vulnerable members of the community and higher demand for health and social care services.
Earlier, several yellow ice warnings were in place across parts of England, Scotland and Wales, but these had all expired by 12:00 on Friday.
The lowest temperatures for each UK nation overnight were recorded in Tomintoul, Scotland (-12.6C); Shap, England (-6.7C); Swyddffynnon, Wales (-7.2C) and Katesbridge, Northern Ireland (-6C).
Friday will be the final day of this cold snap before milder, wetter and windier weather returns through the weekend. Temperatures will range from 3C to 8C.
While most places will see a dry day with some sunshine, there will be a few showers for Kent and East Anglia as well as Pembrokeshire and the Isles of Scilly.
Cloud will build across Northern Ireland and Scotland ahead of some rain moving in from the northwest during the late afternoon and evening.
National Rail had warned passengers to check their journeys before they travel in the areas affected by the cold weather.
Trains to and from Glasgow Central are expected to run as usual on Friday, after damaged overhead wires on Thursday led to a day of disruption.
It comes after some parts of the UK were blanketed by snow on Thursday, with hundreds of schools closed, traffic brought to a standstill and homes left without power.
Danny Lawson/PA Wire
A snow covered car on the A169 between Pickering and Whitby on the North York Moors on Thursday
Around 40 schools in North Yorkshire were closed on Thursday, while 10 were also listed as closed in East Yorkshire.
In north-east Scotland, more than 100 schools were shut as heavy snow caused further disruption across the region.
In Wales, National Grid said engineers had dealt with “several separate incidents” in the west of the country due to adverse weather conditions on Thursday.
Forty schools were closed in Pembrokeshire, seven in Ceredigion and 14 in Carmarthenshire.
Ela McLoughlin, 14, was glad to be off school in Crymych. Along with Helen McLoughlin, Conan Blake and their dog Madog, she walked up Foel Drygarn in the morning and saw people skiing.
As snow set in on Thursday, Alex Parker from the North Yorkshire branch of charity Age UK told the BBC he was “really concerned about the people that we support” and their “ability to get out and about, to be able to continue with their daily lives and to make sure they’re safe and comfortable in their own homes”.
That includes staying warm at home, as well as accessing food, drinks and medication.
He is encouraging people to check in on elderly or vulnerable friends or neighbours.
In Beverley, David Jefferson, 79, told the BBC he finds the snow “difficult to walk in, especially when you get to my time of life.”
“The sooner it goes the better really.”
