The Met Office has issued a new warning for snow for nearly all of England on Sunday, stretching down to the north of London.

The first bout of snow hit north-west Scotland and Northern Ireland from about 4pm on Thursday as Storm Caroline moved away.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England have been assaulted by strong winds from the storm and the harsh weather will not end until Saturday evening when the yellow warning expires.

Up tp 7cm of snow has already fallen in Aviemore in the Scottish highlands, 4cm in Leek in Staffordshire, and 1cm in Aldergrove in Northern Ireland.

BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood warned that a lot of places will have experienced snow overnight on Thursday evening.

She said: "Some of us have seen some snow overnight...couple that with ice on untreated surfaces and there is likely to be tricky travelling conditions today." 

Met Office forecaster Emma Sharples said: “As Storm Caroline moves away and exits, when that event is over it allows cold air to be drawn southwards, that will bring a risk of snow overnight.

“There will be frequent snow showers throughout the day and very cold temperatures in low single figures.”

The first yellow warning of snow and ice comes into force at 4pm on Thursday until midnight, for south-west Scotland, Northern Ireland, Orkney and Shetland Islands.

As the cold air is drawn across the UK on Thursday, showers will increasingly turn to sleet and snow and surface temperatures will fall below freezing leading to icy stretches.

However, another yellow warning comes in at midnight on Friday and covers swathes of the UK and the majority of western England.

Snow showers will continue to affect parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, continuing on from Thursday.

The warning extends to northern and western parts of the UK, including Wales, south-west England, the Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber and even London and south-east England

Although Ms Sharples explained the area covering London and the south-east England is a large area, and the warning at the moment will affect Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire, not the capital.

People across Britain should keep an eye on the forecasts as details will change.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and north Wales and perhaps even the north-west Midlands could experience 10-20cm of some and elsewhere in the warning area, 2-5cm is likely.

The Met Office warned: “Icy surfaces are also likely to be an additional hazard, especially overnight.

“The heaviest and most frequent snow showers will progressively become confined to northeast Scotland during Saturday.

“Possible travel delays on roads stranding some vehicles and passengers with possible delays and cancellations to rail and air travel.”

Forecasters have predicted that the icy conditions will move away from Scotland and north of the country on Saturday evening.

However, central and southern parts of the country will then be hit by heavy snow on Sunday from 4am until midnight.

This warning covers nearly all of England on Sunday but the details are likely to change as the weather tracks from west to east.

Travel chaos and disruption is expected across most of the country between Friday and throughout the weekend.