It's Great Brrrr-itain! Country braced for a wintry weekend as temperatures plunge below -3C bringing ice, rain, sleet and two inches of snow (but it'll be positively balmy by Monday)

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Britain is braced for a wintry weekend as temperatures drop to -3C and snow falls across swathes of the country.

After a relatively mild week, traditional November conditions will arrive in earnest tonight as temperatures fall below freezing around the country and two inches of snow is dumped on some parts.

Following a day of snowfall in Scotland today, the wintry showers will move in over England and Wales overnight, with snow expected to fall in the South West and North as well as the hills around the Midlands.

But we should get some respite from the freezing temperatures on Monday, with forecasters saying we could be treated to temperatures as high as 13C thanks to a low pressure system moving in overnight. 

The snowy and frosty conditions set to hit England and Wales this weekend have already arrived in Scotland. This bus to Inverness drove along frosty road through a snow-covered landscape this morning

Public health officials are warning people around the country to get ready for winter to arrive in earnest tonight

A pedestrian walks carefully through the snow during a flurry in Pitlochry, Scotland, today

Snow falls as pedestrians walk through Pitlochry today. Widespread frosts will make roads treacherous in the morning

An ambulance drives through Pitlochry in Perthshire today as snow makes conditions difficult for motorists

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for ice in parts of the UK tonight and Public Health England has told people to take precautions as temperatures look set to drop.

Widespread frosts will make roads treacherous in the morning with up to two inches of snow possible in some areas over 1,000ft (300m).

The weather warning, which is in place from 5pm today to 10am tomorrow, has been issued for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland and Wales as well as the north of England, Yorkshire and the West Midlands.

The Met Office said: 'A band of rain, sleet and snow showers will move from the North West to South East across the yellow area through Friday, clearing during the early hours of Saturday, followed by further wintry showers. 

'Icy patches are likely to form on untreated surfaces as temperatures fall.'

Met Office forecaster Grahame Madge said: 'The cold weather is happening because we are in a northerly air flow, trapped between high pressure to the west and low pressure over Shetland. 

'Cold days, with wintry showers in the north and west, and frosty nights will continue through the weekend into next week.'

Public Health England reminded people to be prepared ahead of the cold weather, with temperatures expected to fall below zero in some areas before tomorrow.

Dr Thomas Waite, of their Extreme Events team, said: 'We're well used to winter in this country so most people know what to do to protect their health before and during cold spells.

'But there are people who may not take precautions and who are at a very real risk.

'We know that every winter thousands of people fall ill and many die because of exposure to cold both in the home and while outdoors.

'Those most at risk include older people, very young children and those with conditions like heart and lung disease.

'That's why every cold season we urge people to look out for family, friends and neighbours who may be at risk. Ask yourself if you could check on a neighbour to see if there's anything they need?'

Dr Waite added: 'We know that more deaths occur every winter in the UK than in the summer due to a wide range of causes including cold weather, influenza and other respiratory infections.

Wintry showers will fall in the south-west and Wales overnight, while lack of cloud over Britain will cause widespread frost

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for ice over the western half of the country (left) and satellite images show snow clouds moving in from the North Atlantic (right) 

'The flu vaccination is the best protection we have against flu and it's really important to have it if you are eligible.'

Paul Gundersen, chief operational meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'Colder air has now reached most parts of England, with temperatures expected to fall further by Saturday, when the cold will be accentuated by strengthening winds.'

Figures earlier this week showed there were more than 34,000 'excess deaths' across England and Wales over the last winter period, the second highest level in eight years.

The Office for National Statistics said the rise was likely to be due to a 'predominant strain of flu prevalent during the 2016 to 2017 winter'. 

A man and a woman stand outside a shop during snowfall in Pitlochry this afternoon

A pedestrian walks through the snow as he crosses the road during a snowfall in Pitlochry this afternoon 

Swans walk on partially frozen water on Loch Dunmore following a cold snap and snowfall near Pitlochry

Mist rises next to a Church of Scotland church spire following a snowfall in Pitlochry today

Huge icicles form on moorland in Teesdale, County Durham, as sub-zero temperatures spread over the UK today

A tree is covered in snow following a snowfall in Pitlochry, Perthshire, today

Rowers on The River Thames in Oxford on a cold but sunny afternoon in southern England today

People enjoy a sunny afternoon at Christchurch Meadows in Oxford today as temperatures nosedive again

Two joggers make their way through Christchurch Meadows on a sunny afternoon in Oxford today

Rowers on The River Thames in Oxford on a chilly afternoon as temperatures fall around the country

It was a cold morning as dawn broke around St Mary's Lighthouse to the north of Newcastle this morning

Dunstanburgh Castle ruins in Alnwick, Northumberland, sat under a starry sky last night as temperatures dropped