Britain shivers as snow moves in (From Times Series)

Britain shivers as snow moves in

1:23pm Saturday 4th February 2012 in National News © Press Association 2011

Britain shivered through the coldest night of the winter so far as temperatures plunged lower than minus 12C and the country braced itself for up to 15cm of snow.

Parts of the UK were placed on amber alert, the Met Office's second highest severe weather warning, as flights were cancelled and a string of sporting fixtures fell victim to the big chill.

On the roads, motorists faced a "dangerous cocktail of driving conditions" while forecasters warned the freezing weather was set to stay.

The cold snap has already seen daytime temperatures plummet four or five degrees lower than average for February - traditionally the chilliest month of the year.

The mercury dropped to minus 12.4C in South Newington, Oxfordshire - the lowest recorded temperature this season, the Met Office said.

Most parts of the country are expected to wake up to a blanket of snow on Sunday morning, with up to 15cm forecast in some places, including London's Heathrow Airport, where a third of flights will be grounded amid adverse weather conditions and the possibility of freezing fog.

Met Office forecaster Michael Lawrence said: "We have got a band of rain, sleet and snow pushing in from western parts.

"This is running over colder air and that's going to give some fairly significant snowfall, mainly in eastern and central parts of Britain and - to some extent - large parts of the UK."

While some regions - including Cumbria, Lincolnshire, East Anglia, North Yorkshire, the Peak District and the Midlands - are expected to see a 15cm dumping of snow, many regions will get between 5cm and 10cm. Wales and the South West, along with parts of western Scotland, will mostly see rain.

The amber alert in England applies to Yorkshire and Humber, the West Midlands, East Midlands, the East, the South West, London, the South East and the North West.