SEVERAL inches of snow and frost in some parts of the UK this week, although it is likely that Wiltshire will be spared the worst conditions.

A cold weather front is to sweep across the country throughout Wednesday with temperatures expected to drop as much as 10C to below zero overnight into Thursday further north.

The Met Office has issued a yellow "be aware" warning for large parts of England, from the North West to East Anglia, and called for the public to be aware of possible disruption to travel, while health officials urged people to take extra care.

Wintry showers are expected to hit northern and eastern England and the Midlands, as well as parts of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland over the next couple of days and forecasters predicted 3-6cm of snow to accumulate on high ground in the north of England, with 5-10cm at lower levels and over 10cm expected in high ground in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

A Met Office warning said: "A cold front is expected to cross the UK during Wednesday, introducing much colder conditions to central and northern England in particular.

"Very strong winds will accentuate the cold. Snow showers are likely in most areas, but especially the north west where significant accumulations are likely to build up, especially in hilly areas."

The MetOffice forecast a cloudy night with outbreaks of rain becoming more persistent from the northwest today, perhaps turning heavy at times towards the end of the night, becoming increasingly windy. 

On Wednesday forecasters said there were would be brighter but colder conditions following rain with showers turning increasingly wintry later on in the day and it remains windy.

Billy Payne, of forecaster MeteoGroup, said while the cold weather is set to remain into early next week, it is unlikely the UK could see any impact of the heavy blizzards hitting much of the north-eastern coast of the US.

Meanwhile, Dr Angie Bone, head of extreme events team at Public Health England, said: "In this sort of weather we know that older people and people in poor health tend to stay indoors.

"While this is sensible, it's worth remembering these people may need help getting to a hospital or GP appointment, with shopping or prescription fetching, or just someone to talk to. If you know someone in this situation, and most of us do, think about what you can you do to help out.

"Contrary to popular belief, it's actually working age adults who have most slips and trips outside in cold and icy weather, not older people, which is why it's important to wear shoes with a good, slip-resistant grip to prevent any accidental falls."