he Met office has issued a snow and ice warning for parts of the South-East as temperatures are forecast to dip below zero.
The wintry blast is expected to create icy conditions on roads overnight into Friday and during the morning rush-hour.
The plunging temperatures hit London on Thursday with flurries of snow throughout the day and a dusting at school pick-up time.
The Met Office has now issued a snow warning for eastern parts of Kent and Essex from midnight on Thursday until 10am on Friday, forecasting that up to 0.8in (2cm) could fall over higher ground along with sleet and rain.
Overnight temperatures are due to settle around zero for most areas, with -3C predicted for London.
A band of rain, sleet and snow is expected to affect parts of East and South-East England on Friday morning – with the Met Office saying notable accumulations are expected away from coasts and over higher ground in Kent.
Snowy conditions hit parts of the UK on Thursday
/ PAThere is also a warning for ice in eastern Scotland, North-East England and parts of the East Midlands in place from 9pm on Thursday until 10am on Friday, which comes with an alert for up to 2in (5cm) of snow.
Forecasters have said visibility on roads during the morning rush-hour will be limited by the snow and sleet.
In eastern Scotland and eastern England down to Lincolnshire, the second ice warning said wintry showers will continue overnight and into Friday leading to icy patches, particularly on untreated surfaces.
The Met Office said accumulations of snow are also possible, particularly across eastern Scotland and hillier areas of North-East England. Forecasters expect up to 2in (5cm) could fall on high ground in Scotland, Northumberland and the North York Moors above 1,000ft (300m), while up to 1.2in (3cm) could fall on ground above 650ft (200m).
Temperatures are predicted to plummet on Friday and over the weekend following last week’s sunshine and highs above 20C (68F).
They will reach highs of 7C (45F) and 8C (46F) across the UK tomorrow and on Saturday, increasing to 9C (48F) and 10C (50F) on Sunday.
Sunny spells with some cloud are predicted for the rest of England, Scotland and Wales, with a largely cloudy day all round on Sunday.
Met Office meteorologist Matty Box said there is a ‘cold air mass’ over the UK. ‘
He added: “There is an ice warning out at the moment,’ he added. ‘If there’s any melting and refreezing overnight then there’s an ice risk.
“I suspect there will be a similar risk for Thursday night to Friday morning.”