Motorists are being warned of havoc on the roads on Monday as snow turns into ice following a weekend wintry blast.

Hundreds of schools are due to be closed at the start of the working week following a cold night which saw temperatures drop as low as -11.6C (11F) in some parts of the country.

A chilly day is forecast for Glasgow and its surrounding areas.

The Met Office said: "There will be scattered wintry showers at first then a mainly dry, bright and cold day. The maximum temperature will be 4°C."

Of tonight's outlook, the weather service added: "Showers, wintry over high ground, will die away overnight. However, there will be a widespread frost, and maybe some icy stretches, which will will develop under clearing skies. Minimum temperature will drop to -6°C."

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said Saturday night was the coldest of 2017 so far with the mercury plummeting to as low as -12.4C in some parts.

He added: "We could well beat that tonight and could go as low as -12C and even -15C."

Pete Williams, the RAC’s road safety spokesman, said they are expecting 11,000 breakdowns on Monday across Britain, a figure which is 20% above the seasonal norm.

“I think the big thing is people are not going to leave enough time,” he said.

“Journeys will take two to three times longer.

“It’s going to be treacherous driving conditions.”

(Nick Potts/PA)(Nick Potts/PA)

He said low overnight temperatures could cause black ice and urged people to drive slowly, leaving plenty of space between them and the car in front.