The country has been hit by a blast of cold weather, with temperatures falling as low as minus 5C overnight amid forecasts of snow and freezing rain.Meteorologists had warned that temperatures overnight could have plummeted to as low as minus 8C as a week-long spell of wintry conditions hit the UK.

The country has been hit by a blast of cold weather, with temperatures falling as low as minus 5C overnight amid forecasts of snow and freezing rain.Meteorologists had warned that temperatures overnight could have plummeted to as low as minus 8C as a week-long spell of wintry conditions hit the UK.