THOUSANDS of homes could be without power over the weekend in the wake of Storm Otto.
Food vans have been dispatched to the worst-hit areas of the UK following severe conditions on Friday – and the Met Office has warned there is more grim weather on the way.
A yellow warning for snow and ice was in place for central parts of Scotland until 9am today.
Up to 4in of the white stuff could fall on the hills north of the central belt, with a light dusting over lower ground.
This may lead to travel disruption and longer journey times, forecasters warn.
Elsewhere, heavy rain will batter Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend County Borough in South Wales.
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It will also be "drizzly" in south-eastern England, with sunny spells and isolated showers further north.
A frost will then form overnight as "rain and hill snow" over Scotland and the North East clears.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: "Plenty going on this weekend, even though we are saying goodbye to Storm Otto which barrelled across the norther isles on Friday.
"Although Otto is out of the way, there is another weather system moving in bringing wet weather and heavy hill snow for a time.
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"It could also turn icy as temperatures fall away down close to freezing, with some spots hitting zero in the countryside.
"But further south we're a long way from snow and ice with temperatures for many in double figures.
"For Saturday, we start with a little bit of rain over parts of the Midlands, South Wales, southwest England, but that should peter out.
"Rain and will snow will ease across Scotland, but through the central belt and northern parts of Northern Ireland it may well stay a bit dank and drizzly throughout the day.
"Elsewhere, skies should steadily brighten with breaks of sunshine."
The milder conditions come after gusts of up to 80mph were recorded across parts of northern Scotland on Friday.
Trains and flights were also cancelled and roads blocked by overturned lorries in northern England.
More than 40,000 properties were left without power in Scotland, with around 7,600 still cut off as of 9pm on Friday.
OUT OF POWER
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution said it expected its teams to continue to make significant progress in restoring power to customers into Friday evening.
However, it warned some customers in rural areas may be off supply for more than 48 hours.
SSEN said it has sent food vans to the main areas still in the dark, and they will serve food and drink from 8am on Saturday.
In England, Northern Powergrid said around 21,000 customers lost power, with 92 still affected as of 9.15pm on Friday.
On Friday morning, a man was taken to hospital in a serious condition after a tree fell on a street in Sheffield.
South Yorkshire Police officers were called to Endcliffe Vale Road at 8.50am.
A spokesperson said: "A man in his 50s was injured and was taken to hospital in serious condition.
"A property nearby was also damaged and structural engineers are at the scene."
COLD SPELL TO COME
A tree also toppled on to a Porsche on Granby Road in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, causing anxiety for drivers in the area.
Charlie Lowe, a 29-year-old cake business owner, photographed the crushed vehicle on her way to work.
She said: "I felt shocked and I think it's nerve-wracking.
"I felt a bit nervous driving around Harrogate as a result."
Into next week, it will start "dry and mild" initially but may turn chillier by Wednesday, forecasters predict.
Mr Deakin said: "There are signs through the middle part of next week that we could see a colder spell which will bring a few wintry showers."
Storm Otto, the first to be named this winter, was labelled by the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI).
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It is the first named storm to directly affect the UK this storm-naming season, which began in September.
The first to be named by the Met Office, or the Irish and Dutch weather services, this season will still be Storm Antoni, in accordance with the 2022/23 storm name list.
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