The Met Office has urged people to take extra care when driving, cycling and walking amid snow and ice warning in parts of the UK.

Snow has already hit parts of the UK overnight as forecasters have predicted “chopping and changing” weather for up to five days.

Yellow weather warnings are in place for Northern Ireland, Scotland and north-west England until around 9am on Friday, with icy stretches likely to form on untreated roads amid near-freezing temperatures.

Met Office yellow weather warning for parts of the UK

Met Office chief meteorologist Frank Saunders said: “A ridge of high pressure builds on Friday resulting in a fine, bright day for most.

“However, the winds pick up again as we head into the weekend with weather fronts bringing rain to the north and west and milder air spreads back in here”.

The Met Office said the unsettled blustery weather will stay around over the coming days, especially in the north west, although conditions are not expected to be as severe as during the past week.

A number of weather fronts are set to cross northern parts of the country and bring bouts of wet and windy weather – while southern and eastern areas are in line for the best of the fine weather over the weekend, according to the service.

Met Office weekend weather forecast

Meteorologist Alex Deakin said the weather will “remain pretty lively over the next certainly four or five days, chopping and changing day-on-day”.

Saturday is expected to be breezy, while people in the northwest have been told to brace for further strong winds and heavy rain on Sunday.

After a spell of rain across the UK on Monday, calmer weather is forecast from Tuesday, though clear skies could bring frosty mornings, the Met Office said.