The Pennines, Yorkshire and parts of Lincolnshire bore the brunt of the wintry weather with an average snow cover of 10-to-15 centimetresinches) and unconfirmed reports of drifts up to 30 centimetres deep, said at official from the meteorological office (Met Office).

Council officials in the northern county of Yorkshire said more than 330 schools would stay shut due to the harsh weather.

Light snow was also sprinkling over London and the rest of the south east with further showers forecast as a low weather system skirting northern France edged closer, the Met Office official said.

"That situation will persist throughout the morning and much of first part of the afternoon," the official told AFP.

Skies nationwide should clear later in the day, however, turning the mushy, damp slush underfoot into ice, according to the official.

"This could lead to quite dangerous driving conditions with widespread icy patches," he said, predicting that the Met Office would issue a warning for drivers to take care on the roads later in the day.

The weather was forecast to become cloudly again over the weekend and next week would see a return to snowfalls and icy temperatures.

"It looks like this cold snap could last through the start of next week, said the Met Office official, adding the freezing temperatures would probably stick around until the following weekend.

High pressures over Scandinavia and northern Europe coupled with low pressures to the west of Britain have caused the cold snap here, to the surprise of those who assumed the worst of the winter was over following the warmest January for 15 years.

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