A three-day health alert for cold weather has been issued for central and northern England.
It warns vulnerable people could be at greater risk and possible “minor impacts” on healthcare services due to increased demand.
The alert from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) runs from Friday morning to Saturday morning.
Met Office snow and ice warnings are also in force from late Thursday until noon on Friday for northern England and virtually the whole of Scotland.
The forecaster said 1-2cm of snow is widely likely but that some places above 300m could get as much as 10cm.
Friday is set to be the chilliest day, with around 2C (35F) forecast for the morning commute in Manchester and 0C (32F) under clear skies in Glasgow.
Sky News weather producer Chris England said the cold would “come as something of a shock after the long mild, wet spell”.
“The jet stream, which guides our weather systems, will move briefly south to end the week, allowing an increasingly northerly flow, bringing more wintry conditions,” said England.
However, he added that milder conditions should spread from the South later in the weekend.
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