Temperatures plunged to minus 7C overnight with more cold nights and even snow expected in the days ahead, the Met Office said.

Tyndrum, in Perthshire, Scotland, saw the lowest temperature recorded in the UK on Wednesday night, Met Office spokesperson Nicola Maxey said.

While Goodhurst, Kent, had the lowest temperature in England, with minus 5.6C recorded.

“It will be similar on Friday and Saturday night,” Ms Maxey said.

“You could see something like minus 5C for somewhere like Aberdeen or northern England, particularly in rural areas.

“We had minus 7C in Tyndrum last night, it’s not beyond the realms that we might see something similar, but in the more isolated rural areas.”

She said that the weather of the next few days would be “cloudier” but with some clearer spells over Scotland, Northern Ireland and Cumbria as we head into the weekend.

“Another cold start with some clear skies, and some frost and fog around and some more breaks again in the cloud in places,” she said

“And that’s where you’ll see the colder temperatures, although sunnier spells. It will be fairly pleasant in those breaks, although colder. Then we see a front from the north starting to sink south and that will bring some patchy rain and drizzle as it comes.

“It will sink further south as it comes over the weekend, with the potential for some snow further north, in higher ground in Scotland.”

She added that by Monday the UK will see “clear and sunny spells” and some showers which could bring snow along the coast of northern Scotland.