HEALTH officials in the United Kingdom were on standby last night to take action as snow and a killer winter blast hits Britain

The bitterly cold weather will see temperatures plunge to -12C (10F) today while tomorrow will bring up to four inches of snow.

The Government is preparing to issue a severe Level 4 cold alert because of the risk to life.

Prime minister David Cameron could call a meeting of the Cobra national emergency committee to handle the crisis.

It would be able to draft in the Army help clear snow and ice and prevent travel chaos.

A Department of Health spokesman: “Level 4 is reached when winter weather is so severe, prolonged or widespread that its effects are likely to extend outside health and social care, such as when it creates widespread transport disruption and/or where the operation of health and social care services is threatened.

“A Level 4 alert indicates exceptional winter weather is affecting one or several parts of the country.”

The spokesman added: “During this period of cold weather we would advise people to check local weather forecasts for the latest information on weather conditions and staying safe when outdoors. 

”A Level 4 alert means severe weather conditions affecting one or several parts of the country over a prolonged period of time – much longer than six days.

“It would only be called following detailed discussions between the Met Office, Cabinet Office, the Department of Health and several other government departments. We are not at that stage.”

Freezing winds from Russia will make temperatures struggle to get above zero during the day today and bring widespread frost and ice overnight.

Kent, the Midlands, the South-east and London are all in the firing line tomorrow for the first heavy snowfall this winter, with the entire country at risk of some snow.

Met Office forecaster Helen Chivers said: “We are looking at a weather front from the Atlantic bringing a mixture of rain, sleet and snow.

“It is moist colder air that is likely to fall as snow with the areas most at risk the Midlands, South-east and London.

“We could see temperatures as low as -12C over the snow-covered areas which are the lowest we have seen so far this winter.”

Temperatures are set to sink lower than the South Pole with the whole country at risk of ice, severe frosts and days of treacherous road conditions.

A Met Office statement warned a “100 per cent probability of severe cold weather” could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt health services.