Severe weather warnings for almost all of the UK were issued tonight with heavy snow and widespread icy roads forecast.

Warnings of sub-zero temperatures overnight came as the big chill brought parts of the country to a standstill after the earliest widespread snow for 17 years.

By 8pm, London and the South East, the South West, East Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber and the north east of England were all alerted to widespread icy roads until 11am tomorrow by the Met Office.

The North East, Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands and the South West were also braced for heavy snow.

Wales and Northern Ireland were warned to expect icy roads while Scotland was also forecast heavy snow and drifting snow as more flurries were on the way.

Even low-lying parts of the UK saw freezing temperatures today, the Met Office said.

Cottesmore near Oakham in Rutland saw the mercury drop to minus 3.1C while Woodford in Greater Manchester recorded temperatures as low as minus 2.6C.

Temperatures in Leek in Staffordshire were among the coldest at minus 2.5C.

Dozens of schools were closed and many roads were impassable, and a plane from Lanzarote with 196 passengers on board overshot its landing at Newcastle airport.

Though Scotland and the north east of England once again bore the brunt of the bad weather - with dumps of up to 30cm recorded in the Highlands and North Yorkshire - snow was also drifting across Wales and the South West.

Forecasters said the cold snap was set to tighten its grip, blanketing swathes of the country in white by the middle of next week.

Some 10ins (25cm) are expected to fall over higher ground tomorrow and parts of the Midlands and London will not remain unscathed.

Aisling Creevey, of MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "It's definitely staying cold and going into next week, we could see a lot more snow.

"There is a low pressure system across the country and if it moves the way it is looking to at the moment, it's going to be very windy, very snowy and really bitter."

The unusual weather has been caused by high pressure over Greenland and low pressure in the Baltics, forcing cold winds from the north east across Europe.

John Hammond, Met Office forecaster, said: "This snow we're seeing at the moment and expecting to see is the heaviest widespread snow since November 1993 when the Highlands got around 12ins (30cm) and North Yorkshire got 10.5ins (27cm).

"Winds are continuing to blow in from a north-easterly direction over the course of the rest of this week and into next week. Even where we haven't had any snow, temperatures are going down to minus 5C or minus 6C in several places."

Meanwhile, motorists battled treacherous conditions amid warnings of black ice.

The AA said it was called out to 12,000 breakdowns by 4.30pm today and expected to attend more than 16,000 by the end of the day.

The motoring group described it as a "very busy day" with calls coming in at 1,220 every hour ahead of rush-hour.

Wales and the North East were said to be the busiest for breakdowns.

Paul Leather, AA patrol of the year, added: "Although there was less snow last night, black ice has been causing problems, as it's almost impossible to spot and things go wrong very quickly on it.

"Keep your speed down and, where possible, stick to the main roads that have been gritted - it may be that you have to override your sat nav to do this."

Police said all roads in the Grampian region were covered in snow and ice this morning while the A93 at Glenshee, the A939 to Ballater and the A957 Crathes to Stonehaven, at the Slug Road, were also blocked in places.