FORECASTERS say that yet more snow is on the way after what was expected to be the coldest night of winter.

Temperatures were expected to fall as low as minus 10C in some areas during the early hours of this morning, while snow showers are due to push into coastal areas in the north east today.

Drivers have been warned to take extra care on the roads in icy conditions, although severe yellow weather warnings for snow and icy conditions covering large swathes of the country have been lifted.

Met Office operational forecaster Calum MacColl said conditions would be "clear as a bell" in affected areas and urged people to wrap up.

"It only has to get past minus 9C (15.8F) and we'll have had the coldest night for winter," he said.

Forecasters say a small area of low pressure will move southwards down the North Sea later, bringing rain, sleet and snow.

Up to five centimetres of snow could fall on inland areas above 200 metres with more expected at higher altitudes, while coastal areas are more likely to experience a mix of rain and sleet.

The cold weather has brought a host of problems, with hazardous conditions underfoot and on the roads.

A nine-year-old child was airlifted to hospital after being injured in a sledging incident in Ayrshire.

The Scottish Ambulance Service said its helicopter was sent to the Fenwick area at about 3pm yesterday to fly the boy to Crosshouse hospital in Kilmarnock.

Meanwhile, a 36-year-old man was killed in wintry conditions after being hit by a car driven by a learner driver at Bridge of Gairn near Ballater.

A grey Skoda Fabia driven by a supervised learner driver lost control and struck the pedestrian, who suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene.

Police appealed for witnesses to come forward.

Road operator Bear Scotland said precautionary salt treatments were being carried out on all routes at 3pm and then at 3am, with patrolling in between and through to 10am.

A spokesman urged motorists to "drive to the conditions".

Scotland Transerv, which is responsible for maintaining roads in the south west, said it had 22 gritters and almost 350 tonnes of salt ready to head out on the roads on Sunday evening.

Amey said 12 patrol gritters and 16 frontline vehicles would be covering roads in the south east of the country overnight into this morning.

One man was lucky to be pulled from an icy riverbank at Sedgwick, Cumbria, yesterday morning.

Cumbria Police Inspector Christ Wright said paramedics called in shortly before 9am with reports that a man had fallen onto the rocks.

Authorities were not sure if he had been in the water, nor how long he had been exposed to the elements. Temperatures in the area hovered below freezing overnight.

"The weather was against us, there was thick fog in the area and we have had snow," Insp Wright said.

"The male was found lying on an island in the middle of the river."

It is believed the man, a Lancashire local aged in his early 50s, had to be treated for hypothermia but is now recovering in hospital.

The forecast led to bookmaker Coral slashing the odds from 20-1 to 8-1 that the UK's record low temperature of -27.2C (-17F) will be broken this year.

Coral's Nicola McGeady said: "As Britain braces itself for freezing weather, we have witnessed an avalanche of bets on 2015 being the coldest ever."