The Met Office has issued a rare amber cold weather alert ahead of temperatures plummeting this week.
The alert warns of a '90 percent probability of severe cold weather and icy conditions' in some parts of England. It will be in place between 6pm on Wednesday (December 7) to 9am on Monday (December 12).
The amber - or level 3 - warning covers Greater Manchester. It means the cold weather could increase health risks to vulnerable people and requires social and healthcare services to take action to protect high-risk groups.
READ MORE: Greater Manchester's day by day Met Office weather forecast as snow set to hit UK
People have been urged to 'look out for family and friends who may be vulnerable to the cold' and make sure they have a warm enough home. Vulnerable people have also been urged to avoid exposing themselves to the cold and icy outdoor conditions.
The Met Office said air from the Arctic will spread south across the country from late on Wednesday with very cold nights expected as well as frosts. Wintry showers are also likely in coastal areas bringing risks of icy patches on roads.
Daytime temperatures are expected to be freezing or just above, with snow and wintry showers forecast in some parts of the UK. A yellow weather warning for snow has already been issued for parts of Scotland on Wednesday, with forecasters predicting between 2cm and 5cm of snow to settle in lower areas, rising to 10cm at higher levels.
Greater Manchester will see temperatures dip below freezing this week. On Wednesday, temperatures are forecast to dip to -3 with highs of only 3C. On Thursday, a chilly morning will see temperatures at -2C. And by 6pm we're set to be back below freezing, with the mercury dropping to -5C overnight.
UK to be hit by snow
It comes as the Met Office has warned of snow hitting parts of the UK this week. Scotland is likely to face the first snowfall of the season over the next couple of days, thanks to a wintry storm named the 'Troll of Trondheim'.
The Met Office said: "Showers will fall as snow to low levels on Wednesday. Accumulations of 2-5 cm are possible at lower levels, with 5-10 cm above 200 metres, with some drifting and blizzard conditions in the strong northerly winds."
Jim Dale, of the British Weather Services, said that December 10-15 will bring the 'worst' of the cold spell.
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