The big freeze felt even colder after bitter winds from northern Europe sent temperatures plummeting even further and heralded more big snowfalls.

Conditions are expected to be freezing virtually everywhere during the day, but forecasters said it would feel much, much colder because of icy blasts sweeping in from Scandinavia and Germany.

Heavy snow is expected in many eastern parts of the country over the weekend, including the south east of England, where up to 20cm could settle, causing more travel havoc.

As the coldest spell for more than 30 years drags on, some of this weekend's biggest sports events joined the growing list of weather-related casualties.

Five Premier League games have been called off - at Sunderland, Fulham, Hull and Burnley on Saturday and Liverpool on Sunday - with other league games, horse racing meets and rugby union matches also postponed.

Grit and gas supplies are also under pressure, with more disruption expected for rail, road and air travel.

The Met Office warned of heavy snow in north east England, Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands, eastern England and London and the South East.

It also issued a severe weather warning for the south east, saying: "Outbreaks of snow starting on Saturday afternoon will become heavy and persistent during the evening and last into Sunday morning.

"Seven to 12cm of fresh level snow are expected widely with 10 to 20cm locally. Drifting in the very strong winds will cause even greater accumulations in places."

Overnight temperatures fell to minus 14C (7F) in Cumbria, and minus 14.5C (6F) in Tulloch Bridge in Inverness-shire, Scotland. Elsewhere around the UK they were solidly below freezing - minus 7C (19F) in Manchester, minus 6C (21F) in Cardiff and minus 2C (28F) in London.

Clare Allen, from MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said the wind chill would lop up to six degrees off Saturday's air temperatures. She said: "The winds are coming in from Scandinavia and north-east Europe and will make everywhere feel much colder this weekend.

"Most places will see daytime temperatures of around 0C (32F) during the day, but the wind chill will make it seem like -5C or -6C."