People woke up to snow in Scotland yesterday as falls began which will bring a taste of winter to large areas of Britain over the next 48 hours.

Snow began in the northwest of Scotland during the evening and moved to other areas north of the border during the night.

Laura Caldwell, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: “There have been accumulations of a few centimetres in parts of Scotland and the snow is expected to move into northern England and as far south as the Midlands during the day.”

More falls are expected in north Wales, central England and northern England tomorrow. Most of the areas will see between 2cm and 5cm settle while some such as Yorkshire will see up to 10cm.

Cold weather will take hold of all the UK, but southern England and Wales is likely to be spared snow.

The Met Office has a level two weather warning in place until tomorrow covering the whole of England, alerting residents to ice, snow and bitter temperatures.

It said: “This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services.”

Temperatures were low across the UK overnight, with the lowest reading minus 6C˚ at Shap in Cumbria at 3am.

Ms Caldwell said: “There were below zero readings in many parts of England and Wales, though in southern England it was a little milder, with readings of 2C° and 3C°, and even some 4s and 5s in the southwest.”

The cold weather is expected to linger for the rest of the week with the possibility of more snow flurries in central and eastern England.

The AA has warned that 75 per cent of drivers are not prepared for conditions on the roads, and urged drivers to carry an essential winter kit and check their cars before getting behind the wheel.