Snow and ice is forecast for most areas, with temperatures falling to -7 in parts of Scotland

The coldest week of the winter could be on its way, according to forecasters, with most of Britain likely to see some snow.

A series of weather warnings are in place, with forecasts of snow and ice from Sunday and throughout next week, the Met Office said.

Temperatures could plummet as low as -7C (19.4F) in some parts of the UK; the bulk of the population can expect sub-zero temperatures.

A Met Office forecaster, Craig Snell, said the first full week of February would probably be cold. “Plenty of dry weather around, but many places will probably see some snow at some point during the week, but for a lot of us not really amounting to much at all,” he said. “Probably one of our coldest weeks of this winter so far, but snowfall-wise, it doesn’t really look too disruptive at this stage.”

The Met Office said ice was likely to have formed overnight on Sunday along the east coast as temperatures fell, bringing potentially difficult driving conditions.

A further weather warning for snow and ice was in place from 8pm on Sunday until 10am on Monday, spanning south-east England.

Scattered rain, sleet and snow showers coming in from the North Sea were expected to be most frequent in Kent and East Sussex on Sunday evening, before affecting parts of East Anglia and Greater London later.

About 1-3cm of snow could accumulate inland, mainly over hills above 100 metres.

Snell said the working week would start on a “bitterly cold” note, with the bulk of the population waking up to temperatures between zero and -2C, and as low as -7C in parts of Scotland, the Midlands and Wales.

Between 9pm on Monday and 3pm on Tuesday, there is a further chance of snow and ice for the north of England, Northern Ireland, north Wales and Scotland. A spell of rain, sleet and snow would move east across the UK, gradually weakening across England and Wales.

Snell said: “Quite a lot of the UK will see some snow as we head through Tuesday but as it ventures into the Midlands, south-west England and eventually later in the day across south-east England, it’s just going to be a few flakes of snow. So many people will see some snow but don’t expect to build a snowman.”

Tuesday morning is again expected to be widely below freezing, with highs of 5-6C (41-42.8F) in spots on the western coast of Wales and south-west England. Overnight into Wednesday will be another chilly night, while the day will generally be cold, crisp and sunny. A front of rain is expected to move through the country on Thursday, before the cold air swiftly returns.

The cold snap is expected to continue until at least the weekend, and milder weather may not arrive until the middle of the following week.