Weather warnings for heavy wind and rain are issued ahead of milder weekend conditions as the cold snap gives way, according to the Met Office.
Another frosty night is forecast into Friday, with lows of minus 10°C likely in some areas, before a yellow weather warning for wind is set for much of the country from Sunday morning until Monday.
As much of the UK will be subjected to freezing temperatures on Thursday night, fears over dangerous wintry conditions led NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) to demonstrate to people how to walk like a penguin to avoid “a nasty injury or even a time in hospital”.
The Met Office forecast snow across Scotland and the North, with wintry showers sprinkling some coastlines, as a warning for ice across parts of Wales and southwest England is set to finish by Friday morning.
Arctic air will give way to milder Atlantic temperatures starting in the north and west from Friday when weather warnings for snow and ice will mean that 40cm of snow that will accumulate before the weekend in the Scottish highlands will melt after wintry showers turn to rain between Thursday night and Friday.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for wind from Sunday morning until Monday, saying “windy weather for many and some heavy rain in the west” is expected.
“Watch out for updates to these warnings on Friday and Saturday as the forecast develops,” said Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist David Hayter.
Mr Hayter added: “Conditions will stay cold on Friday but a change in weather type is on the way, bringing milder air for the UK during the course of the weekend.
“This change will initially be relatively benign in terms of weather impacts, with a dry Friday and start to Saturday for many in the south of the UK. “
Instructions for safely walking like a penguin, as issued by NHSGGC are as follows: “Step 1 – legs out, step 2 – soft knee bend, step 3 – arms out.”
Dr Emilia Crighton, the director for public health on the board, said: “While it might seem silly to walk or waddle like penguin, the alternative may be a nasty injury or even a time in hospital.
“Remember, when it comes to getting around on ice, penguins know best, so when you’re out and about in the next few days, adopting the penguin stance is a really effective way to move without falling.”
On Wednesday night parts of the UK were subjected to a freeze of -11°C overnight, forcing schools across Scotland to shut as the Met Office forecast incoming “blizzard conditions”.
All schools in Shetland and Orkney, 130 schools in Aberdeenshire and nine schools and nurseries in Moray remained shut on Thursday, while others staggered their opening times.
An amber warning for snow across northern Scotland, Orkney and the Shetland Islands is in place until 6pm on Thursday, with the potential of up to 20cm more snowfall.
Met Office chief meteorologist Jason Kelly said that “strengthening north-westerly winds” will cause “some lying snow to drift, potentially bringing some additional hazards, such as temporary blizzard conditions.”
Other parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland have a yellow snow and ice warning spanning the whole of Thursday, while the north and north-west of England are likely to see further wintry outbreaks over the next 24 hours.
Separate, shorter snow and ice warnings are in place for Wales and south-west England, until 11am on Thursday, and in eastern England until midday on Thursday, as both areas could see wintry showers that lead to icy patches.
A final yellow ice warning for south-east England, including Kent, Surrey and East Sussex, will run until 10am on Thursday.
“With deep snow already lying on the ground for many in the northern half of the UK,” Mr Kelly said. “We’re going to see a significant topping up of totals over the next couple of days, especially for those in the north of Scotland.
“Within the amber warning area, an additional 15-20cm of snow is possible in a few locations.”
It comes after the UK had its coldest night of the winter so far on Tuesday into Wednesday, with Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands experiencing cold of minus -14°C.
Travel warnings are in place across Scotland, and National Rail warned the wintry weather could affect train journeys on Thursday. Great Northern, Thameslink, ScotRail and South Western Railway were all affecdted by disruption.
In Northern Ireland, people have been urged not to travel unless it is “absolutely essential” because of limited gritting of the roads in zero-degree temperatures as public sector workers walked out in the biggest strike in the region’s recent history.
In Scotland, minister for transport Fiona Hyslop stressed the importance of “planning ahead” and issued a warning of high-risk disruption for the parts of the country covered by the amber warning.
Ms Hyslop said winter resilience plans had been in full effect, with teams working overnight to grit trunk roads for essential journeys, but that local roads might face disruption.
