A YELLOW weather warning has been issued as the UK is set to be lashed by white powder this week.

       Wintry showers are forecast as temperatures plummet across the country.

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       A yellow weather warning has been issued by the Met Office

       The mercury fell to a bone-chilling -5.6C last night, before drivers braved the nation's icy roads for the first day back at work this morning.

       Dog walkers in Consett, County Durham, woke to a winter wonderland whilst others shivered in the cold as they scraped ice off their windshields.

       Bookies have slashed the odds on this January being the coldest ever, with more snow on its way.

       The Met Office has warned of more than 2in of snow falling by Thursday.

       A yellow snow and ice warning is now in place for parts of the North West.

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       Forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: "It's quite a contrast compared to the record breaking New Year's we've just seen.

       "We've seen a big drop off in temperatures and it's going to stay like that for most of the week.

       "It's well below the January average of 6C.

       "We're going to see wintry showers, mainly down the western edge of the country but we could also see some in the east.

       "On Thursday a new weather front from the Atlantic will move eastwards bringing with it rain and hill snow.

       "It'll affect the north and west, parts of the Lake District and Wales, but we could also see some flurries further south."

       Some of the snow is likely to turn to slush and then ice as temperatures plunge - potentially causing travel chaos.

       The mercury could fall to as low as -10C.

       This comes days after the warmest New Year's Day on record with temperatures reaching 15.3C in Lincs.

       Coral, the bookies, now has January at 6-4 to be the coldest on record.

       The firm go 2-1 for this winter to be the chilliest ever in the UK.

       Coral's John Hill said: "We've enjoyed some unseasonable mild temperatures over the last few days but that is set to come to a crashing end later this week.

       "With snow and freezing temperatures on their way, we have slashed the odds in half on this month ending as a record cold January."

       THREE-DAY FORECAST

       TODAY (WEDNESDAY): High: 8C Overnight low: -6C Sunny spells, wintry showers in west

       TOMORROW (THURSDAY): High: 10C Overnight low: -2C Rain and hill snow moving east, followed by wintry showers

       FRIDAY: High: 8C Overnight low: -4C Sunny spells, wintry showers

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       The UK is set for the coldest January on record, according to bookies