Arctic blast will make the UK colder than Iceland this weekend

The weather across parts of the UK is braced for a chilly turn, with some areas preparing for snow.

A prolonged spell of freezing weather is set to take hold across the country for the next few days and weeks, with temperatures braced to be colder than Iceland.

The Met Office predicts that the mercury could dip to as low as -8 in parts of the Scottish Highlands, which would beat the current coldest night of the season by two degrees.

Parts of Iceland meanwhile, including capital Reykjavik, are expected to get down to -4 on Friday and Saturday, but by the weekend will only dip to a comparatively mild 0 degrees.

While most parts of Britain will remain dry over the coming days, there will be a north-south divide on Saturday with rain showers expected to hit much of England's southern counties.

Met Office forecaster Oli Claydon said: "As we move closer to the weekend a low-pressure system will start to pull cooler air from the North West down, bringing a cooler feel.

"It's also responsible for the showery set-up we're likely to see today. Then, there will be fairly widespread blustery cold showers across parts of the UK with periods of brightness mixed in."

Forecasters also believe that there are increasing chances of a full La Nina taking place, which would see a downwards shift in temperatures, following a mild winter in 2016/17.