A cold weather alert has been issued as freezing temperatures and wintry showers come from the arctic from Monday.

The Met Office and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are warning that all regions of England will experience cold weather from 1am on Monday, March 6 to midnight on Wednesday, March 8.

A northerly airflow is expected to sweep across the UK with an arctic maritime airmass bringing snow showers to Scotland, Northern Ireland and the east coast of England.

The snow showers will predominantly impact northern and eastern areas, however, it will be cold across the UK, with widespread freezing conditions overnight.

Deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, Chris Almond, said: “Very cold air will spread across the UK from late on Sunday through early next week. This brings with it snow even to low levels in the north and east through Monday and Tuesday, and in excess of 10cm could accumulate, most likely on high ground in the north, but also settling for a time at lower levels.

“With freezing overnight temperatures and the risk of ice, there’s a risk of some travel disruption and wintry hazards are likely to persist through much of next week, even further south for a time, so keep an eye on the Met Office forecast for the latest information.”

Yellow warnings for snow and ice have been issued for early Monday morning through to late Tuesday, with the focus of initial snow showers in northern and eastern areas of the UK - but more weather warnings are expected.

The UK Health Security Agency has issued Level 2 and Level 3 Cold Weather Alerts for the whole of England which are likely to be reviewed and extended in the coming days.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: "During periods like this, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may be more vulnerable to the cold weather, as it can have a serious impact on health.

"If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat your home to at least 18°C if you can."

Temperatures are likely to stay well below average for much of next week, with an increasing chance of snow further south from Wednesday onwards. Some uncertainty remains on exact positioning and timing of further wintry hazards as milder air attempts to move in from the southwest. Details will be refined for the latter half of the week, but broadly cold conditions with further wintry hazards is the most likely scenario.

UKHSA has supplemented the cold weather plan for England with useful resources and advice on the risks of cold weather and tips for staying warm and well. These are online here.