Alongside Met Office amber alerts covering parts of England and Wales, there are also weather warnings in place for Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Met Eireann, the Irish National Meteorological Service, has orange warnings for snow in place for much of the south of the Republic.

One of the warnings, in place from 5pm on Saturday until 5pm on Sunday, is for heavy rain and snow and covers the counties of Cork and Kerry.

Another, covering Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wicklow, Clare, Limerick, and Tipperary, is for snow and covers the same period.

Pensioner ‘frightened’ amid cold snap after winter fuel payment cut

A pensioner who is among those who will miss out on receiving winter fuel allowance – after the government’s decision to cut the payment for around 10 million pensioners – has said she is “frightened” amid the cold weather.

Elaine Yates, 75, from Wellingborough, told Sky News the move was “despicable” and it seemed as though the government had “picked on pensioners”.

She said: “How on earth can we afford to live? 

“I can’t do without that allowance. My heating at the moment is on at 9C.”

She said when she checked her smart meter this morning it was reading £28 for the week which was “far more than she could afford”.

“I’ve got to have the heat. I’ve got a lung disease and a heart problems,” she said.

“I can’t live without it, if I get mould in the house then I’ll be in hospital.”

She went on to say she was “frightened” amid the cold weather.

“If I need to boil the kettle for anything I’ll make myself a drink,” she said.

“I won’t just get up and make a drink. I turn everything off at night so I’m not wasting electricity. 

“I do everything I can to save as much as I can but it is impossible.”

She also said her hands and feet were “permanently cold”.

“It’s heartbreaking. It’s lonely and you’re stuck in the house because you don’t want to go out,” she said.

Asked what her message would be to the government, she added: “I would ask them to come and live in these conditions because none of them understand just how hard it is.”