The UK could be set for the coldest day of the year next week as yellow weather warnings for snow and ice will be in place.

The Met Office said the week will begin with temperatures dropping to near freezing in northern parts of the UK, with parts of north-east Scotland feeling like -4C (24.8F).

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a cold weather alert and placed north-west England and Yorkshire under a level 3 alert.

This means there is a 90% chance of severely cold weather, icy conditions or heavy snow, which could increase the health risk to vulnerable people. The rest of the UK has been placed under level 2.

All areas will be placed under alert between 1am on Monday and midnight on Thursday.

Last week experts said February had been the driest second month of the year for more than three decades, and as a whole the UK saw less than half the average rainfall for the month, at 45%, with 43.4mm falling.

Craig Snell, a senior meteorologist at the Met Office, said: ‘Going into next week we do see a bit of a change with even colder air coming through and then an increase in risk of sudden disruption due to some sleet, snow and some ice.

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‘So at the moment, the main focus is across northern and eastern parts of the UK where we have issued warnings already for Monday and Tuesday for the risk of some snow showers moving in from the north.

He added that the Met Office yellow warnings, which are in place for all of Monday and Tuesday, were unlikely to change.

He said: ‘Scotland and some eastern parts of England have warnings going throughout Monday and Tuesday. In other parts of the country – we are keeping a close eye on it – there is a chance that we could see some snow further south as we kind of go through the week ahead.’

Agostinho Sousa, the head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: ‘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 18C if you can.’

The rest of this weekend is expected to be calm with a few showers forecast in parts of Scotland and eastern England.

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