In anticipation of plummeting temperatures, heavy snowfall and icy roads all across the UK, forecasters have issued a severe weather warning for much of the country tonight.
The yellow warning has been announced for large swaths of the UK, including northern Scotland, Wales and the east of England, stretching down as far as London and Suffolk.
Brits would be well advised to get the big coats out, give them a dusting off and layer up before venturing out later, with heavy snowfall expected late on Thursday and into Friday morning.
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The weather warning for the eastern UK stated: "Wintry showers will bring an additional hazard and may lead to 2cm to 5cm of snow accumulating on ground above 100m, primarily over northern Scotland and north-east England.
"Some roads and railways are likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services."
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Meanwhile, in Scotland, 19 schools have been closed in Aberdeenshire owing to adverse weather, while others have been partially shut.
Helen Roberts, a Met Office forecaster, said the main areas to be affected by snowfall in England will be the north, spreading down the east coast, while the rest of the country will experience cold winter sunshine.
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She told the Sun: "As the showers push further inland by this afternoon and this evening, we could see them pushing as far inland as the Midlands, and it could turn to sleet and snow.
"There could be an accumulation but probably not a lot, like the North York Moors, where we have already got a few centimetres.
"Otherwise it will feel cold, with temperatures in the low to mid single figures.
"With the wind chill factor particularly it will feel quite a lot colder in some places. It will definitely feel sub-zero and a temperature of 3C could feel more like -3C."
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She added that the next couple of days could be the coldest of the year so far, with temperatures set to fall below the frosty -6.3C recorded in Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, on 25 November.
"It could well fall below that to make it the coldest of the autumn," continued the forecaster.
"It would be isolated and more widely temperatures are likely to be between -4C and 2C, so it will be a frosty start and there will be icy stretches.
"We are likely to see further warnings for ice tonight."
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Words: Paddy Maddison