The UK experienced its coldest night of the year so far last night - with North Yorkshire experiencing the lowest temperature.

Temperatures plunged as low as minus 9.8C in Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, overnight as the cold snap continued, with parts of the South West, including Cornwall, waking to heavy snowfall.

According to North Yorks Weather, temperatures dropped to minus 8.9C in Crosscliff, minus 8.8C in Kettlewell, and minus 7.8C in Helmsley.

An amber warning for snow in northern Scotland has been issued by the Met Office for between 3pm and 11.59pm on Tuesday.

Forecasters are predicting up to 20cm of snow in a short space of time across Aberdeenshire and the Highlands, while 15cm of snow could fall in mountainous parts of North Wales.

Yellow warnings for snow and ice are in place for most of Northern Ireland and parts of the North West, Midlands and Wales from noon on Tuesday until noon on Wednesday, and in the South West from 6pm on Tuesday until noon on Wednesday.

An ice warning covers much of the South from 6pm on Tuesday until 10am on Wednesday.

Motorists have been urged to take care on the roads due to difficult driving conditions, with “blustery” and “often wintry” showers expected across northern and western coasts.

The Met Office said it expects milder air to start moving in from Friday afternoon.

Spokesman Oli Claydon said: “That will slowly spread across the rest of the UK.

“South East England will hold onto colder temperatures for longer.”

The Met Office recorded the coldest night of last year on the night of December 12-13 when temperatures plunged to -15.7C in Braemer, Aberdeenshire, during a cold snap.