Disruptive snow and plunging temperatures may hit the UK next week, forecasters have said.

The current cold spell will continue over the weekend, with largely grey, gloomy conditions and patches of rain and sleet in southern areas on Saturday, according to the Met Office.

Coldest UK January temperatures(PA Graphics)

Temperatures sunk as low as -9C (16F) in parts of northern Scotland as the weekend began, while in the South conditions hovered a few degrees above freezing.

Rain and patchy, low-lying snow are possible across much of central and eastern England through Saturday, Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said.

A cold front sweeping in from the North West on Sunday morning will bring fresh dustings of hill snow for the Highlands and Grampians in Scotland, and then the Pennines in northern England and Snowdonia in Wales as it sinks south, he added.

Winter weatherSnow on the beach at Whitley Bay, North Tyneside (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Conditions look set to turn colder next week with the possibility of heavy rain, sleet and snow across the country.

Mr McGivern said: “The cold weather is here to stay for now, and there could be more significant cold and disruptive snow at times through next week.

“Still a lot of uncertainty, so we’re keeping a keen eye on that here at the Met Office.”