Tuesday night was the coldest night of the year so far, the Met Office has said.

Temperatures at Kinbrace in the Highlands dropped to this year’s record low of minus 15.2C overnight – and snow is on the way for much of the UK through the rest of the week.

Southampton also woke up to some snow today, which has brought disruption on the roads.

Night-time sub-zero climes are predicted in all four UK nations until at least Friday.

Following a “very chilly” start to Wednesday, the Met Office has issued several yellow weather warnings for snow and ice which may lead to injuries from slips and falls and cause travel disruption.

The warnings for Wednesday cover northern and eastern Scotland until 10am, and Northern Ireland and southern England until 9am.

Forecasters have said in most places the snowfall will continue until Friday, with a yellow warning for snow covering all of the UK north of Birmingham spanning from 3am on Thursday until 6pm on Friday.

A yellow warning for snow and ice also covers London and the south from midnight on Wednesday until 9am on Thursday.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Steven Keates said: “The impactful weather will continue through the second half of the week as mild air meets cold air with further snow, ice, wind and then rain likely later in the week and into the weekend.

“From Wednesday, the focus of further snow is across parts of southern England and south Wales, with snow likely to lower levels for a time, and many may wake up to a couple of centimetres of snow on Wednesday morning.

“Through Thursday and Friday the snow risk spreads to central and northern areas of the UK, though it’s not possible to pick out precise locations regarding who will see the heaviest snowfall. With a developing situation, it’s important to stay up to date with the latest forecast and further warnings are very likely.”

Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at the UK Health Security Agency, added: “During periods like this, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may be more vulnerable to the cold weather, as it can have a serious impact on health.

“If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat your home to at least 18°C if you can.’’