A cold snap is to grip the UK as clear-up efforts continue in the the wake of Storm Eleanor, which lashed the country with heavy rain and gale-force winds.

Freezing temperatures and widespread frost are forecast to sweep south through Britain during the weekend, with parts of Scotland set to plummet as low as -10C on Saturday night.

Winds are expected to ease after gusts of up to 90mph plunged tens of thousands of homes into darkness and disrupted travel.

But large parts of the country will remain at risk of flooding for several days, warned the Environment Agency, following persistent rain.

Storm Eleanor caused power cuts to around 25,000 properties in Northern Ireland, with hundreds still without electricity on Thursday morning, as it swept across northern Europe.

Forecasters warned more severe weather is on the way, with temperatures set to plunge to -10C in rural areas of Scotland, -6C in northern England and -3C in the south.

Met Office spokesman Oly Clayton told The Independent: “We’ll really start to feel it on Friday night into Saturday, when high pressure starts to move in from the north, making its way further south through the day on Saturday.

“By the time we get to the end of the day on Saturday, most of the UK should be in those colder conditions with a north-easterly breeze. Through Sunday, especially across the south and east, the breeze will make things even colder; there’ll be a fairly noticeable wind chill.”

But there will be no repeat of the snow that fell on parts of the UK between Christmas and New Year, said Mr Clayton, with the high pressure bringing “much calmer, clear, sunny conditions”.

Public Health England issued a warning ahead of the cold snap.

Dr Thomas Waite, of the organisation’s extreme events team, said: “When temperatures fall, the number of people having illnesses such as chest infections, heart attacks and strokes goes up – as their bodies struggle to work harder in colder conditions.

“Heating homes to at least 18C, wearing several thin layers instead of fewer thicker ones, and checking up on older people, young children and those with heart and lung conditions will all help keep people well over the coming days.”

Storm Eleanor: in pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Storm Eleanor: in pictures Storm Eleanor: in pictures Storm Eleanor swept across the country overnight, bringing winds of up to 100 mph in places and carrying rain, hail and thunder and lightning AFP/Getty Storm Eleanor: in pictures The Thames Barrier has been closed to prevent possible flooding in London Rex Features Storm Eleanor: in pictures Cars are seen in a flooded multi-storey car park as flood waters reached up to 1.5 meters and destroyed multiple cars, in Galway Reuters Storm Eleanor: in pictures Repairs are made to the harbour wall that was damaged by Storm Eleanor in Cornwall Getty Storm Eleanor: in pictures A man walks past a fallen tree as it blocks a road in Harrow EPA Storm Eleanor: in pictures Storm Eleanor lashed the UK with violent storm-force winds of up to 100mph PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures A fence around a building yard fallen on parked card in Tottenham Rex Features Storm Eleanor: in pictures A beach patrol vehicle drives past waves crashing against the breakwater in Blackpool EPA Storm Eleanor: in pictures A trampoline blew away in Leeds Iryna Mi/PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures A car drives along a flooded road in New Brighto REUTERS Storm Eleanor: in pictures A partially collapsed harbour wall in Portreath, Cornwall PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures Waves crash over the tidal wall as a motorist travels along the coastal road in New Brighton, north west England AFP/Getty Storm Eleanor: in pictures An uprooted tree falls in the front garden of a house in Haringey, North London Rex Features Storm Eleanor: in pictures A car crushed by falling debris in London Storm Eleanor: in pictures A flooded street in Galway Michael Scott/Twitter/PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures The strong winds have caused damage across the UK Storm Eleanor: in pictures Big waves crash over the sea walls in Blackpool PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures Storm Eleanor at high tide in Weston-Super-Mare Rex Features Storm Eleanor: in pictures Water surrounds parked cars in Galway as storm Eleanor hit Emma Hayward/Twitter/PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures A car driving through flood water in Salthill, Galway The Latin Quarter Galway/PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures Workmen clear debris from the roadside after Storm Eleanor damaged an office construction in Belfast, Northern Ireland Getty Storm Eleanor: in pictures Waves crash against the sea wall in Aberystwyth PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures Storm Eleanor has caused road disruption PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures A car drives through a flooded car park in Salthill PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures Cars stranded in flood water Emma Hayward/Twitter/PA

Hundreds of homes remained without power on Thursday morning after Northern Ireland Electricity emergency crews worked through the night to restore supply to thousands of properties left in the dark following Storm Eleanor.

More than 70,000 homes across England were also hit by blackouts, which have since been resolved.

Wind speeds reached 90mph at Orlock Head in Northern Ireland on Tuesday evening, the Met Office said. Gusts of up to 89mph were recorded on the Isle of Wight, and gusts of more than 70mph were recorded across much of the UK.

Fallen trees caused a number of road closures and injuries, including to a man in Worcestershire and another in Wales, according to the Met Office.

A harbour wall collapsed in Portreath, Cornwall, and a respite centre was set up for seafront residents at risk of flooding, although the high tide was not as bad as feared.

The Severn River Crossing and the Orwell Bridge in Suffolk were closed in the early hours due to strong winds.

Thousands left without power as Storm Eleanor batters the UK

A body was recovered from the sea near Splash Point in Seaford, East Sussex, on Wednesday morning. It is not yet clear whether the person was swept into the water.

Flooding risks could remain for coastal areas for several days, the Environment Agency warned, as it urged people not to attempt “storm selfies”.

Flood duty manager Neil Davies said: “As the unsettled weather continues, large waves combined with high tides could lead to coastal flooding over the next few days, particularly in the west and South-west of England.

“We urge people to stay safe on the coast, take extreme care on coastal paths and promenades, and don’t put yourself in unnecessary danger.”

The Environment Agency had 25 flood warnings in place on Thursday morning, along with 131 flood alerts.

The Thames Barrier was closed to protect London from flooding, while Hull’s tidal surge barrier was employed to protect 17,000 properties.

Nationwide rail services, including one of the main routes into London, were also disrupted by debris fallen on tracks.

Overhead wires between Hayes and Harlington and London Paddington were damaged by the storm, forcing journeys to be delayed, and a fallen tree on the line caused major delays on Wednesday between Cambridge and London King's Cross.

A carriage of the Montreux Oberland Bernois train is pictured lying on its side after if was pushed off the tracks by gusts of wind during Storm Eleanor near Lenk in Switzerland (Reuters) (REUTERS)

Storm Eleanor also brought chaos elsewhere in Europe as it swept over much of the continent’s north.

Two people were killed after being swept away by a huge wave on Spain’s northern Basque coast and a skier died in the French Alps.

In northern France, the storm cut power to more than 200,000 properties, while the Eiffel tower and parks in Paris were closed because of strong winds.

Meanwhile, in the US, heavy snow and high winds have pounded the east coast, knocking out power, icing over roadways and closing hundreds of schools.