A satellite image of the UK under snow on Thursday morning

Heavy rain across the UK combined with melting snow and ice could result in flooding "just about anywhere", BBC weather forecaster Everton Fox said.

Thursday's freezing conditions caused travel chaos across the country and forced about 4,100 schools to close.

Parts of southern Scotland and northern England can expect more heavy snow and blizzard conditions on Saturday, according to the Met Office.

Travellers across the UK continue to face hold-ups as rail companies and airlines battle a backlog of delays caused by the disruption to the timetable.

British Airways, which had to cancel around 200 flights on Wednesday and Thursday, scrapped 14 Heathrow services and one Gatwick flight on Friday.

In pictures: Snow falls on UK Weather chaos hits schools

Problems at Stansted Airport are expected to stretch into the weekend.

BA is meeting airports operator BAA on Friday to discuss possible compensation for the disruption.

BAA has admitted its gritting of the aircraft stands at Heathrow was not as good as it should have been.

A Roadwatch said breakdown teams had dealt with twice as many incidents as normal on Thursday.

And the motoring organisation warned drivers should still take care as freezing temperatures overnight could refreeze ice which had melted.

"Motorists should keep their speed down, allow extra time for journeys and take extra care on the road," a spokesman said.

"Most major roads seem to be open although there are some rural roads where there have been problems, mainly in Aberdeenshire and the Highlands of Scotland."

On Thursday, a 70-year-old man died when his Range Rover left a snow-covered private road and turned over in the grounds of Ravensthorpe Manor near Thirsk, in North Yorkshire.

And a 30-year-old man was seriously injured in an accident on an icy M18 near Doncaster, when his car collided with a road sign and overturned.