Heavy snow and ice will continue to cause widespread disruption across large parts of the UK this weekend with forecasters warning some communities could be cut off as temperatures plummet.
Weather warnings remain in place across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and much of western England as icy conditions have seen roads plunged into chaos.
And hundreds of homes are still without power in the West Midlands, where temperatures remained below freezing overnight.
An amber ‘be prepared’ warning of heavy snow, beginning at 4am tomorrow, has been issued for most of north Wales and north-west England, while parts of the West and East Midlands, the East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber and London and the South East could also be affected.
Around 4in (10cm) of snow is expected to fall widely in the warning areas over just a few hours, while as much as 10in (25cm) is possible in worst-hit areas.
A dusting of snow covers the ground at a farm in Middleton-in-Teesdale this morning as the country is hit by sub-zero temperatures
Snow showers and below freezing temperatures made roads treacherous across parts of the UK on Sunday morning
‘Road, rail and air travel delays are likely, as well as stranding of vehicles and public transport cancellations. There is a good chance that some rural communities could become cut off,’ the Met Office said.
The Weather Outlook forecaster Brian Gaze dubbed tomorrow ‘Snow Sunday’.
He said: ‘It will really pelt down, meeting the definition of a “snow bomb”, an expression used when at least four inches of snow fall in a few hours as significant disruption always results.’
A yellow ‘be aware’ warning of snow and ice covering western parts stretching from Devon and Cornwall in the South to the far north of Scotland is in place until 6pm this evening, with temperatures struggling to get much higher than 0C (32F) ‘across the board’ throughout the day.
Highways England has advised road users intending to travel through the West Midlands and the north-west of England to check the forecast and road conditions before they travel.
Conditions are predicted to ease as the day progresses before the heavy snowfall tomorrow night with sunshine forecast for much of England.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: ‘For much of southern England, the Midlands and eastern England it’s going to be a sunny start to what will be a fine and sunny day and with the winds a bit lighter than yesterday it won’t feel quite so bitter.
‘You will still need a few layers on though.’
Meanwhile, council gritting teams are on standby to cover roads across the country as temperatures are set to plummet for a second night. The Met Office forecast -10C (14F) lows in Scotland and -5C (23F) in England tomorrow.
On Friday night lows of 5.3C (42F) were recorded at Spadeadam in Cumbria, while widespread frost was forecast on Saturday night with lows of -12C (10F) expected in sheltered Scottish glens under clear skies.
Some 18,000 homes were reconnected after losing power as a result of stormy weather on Friday, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said.
A total of 14cm (6in) of snow was recorded in Inverness-shire, while 12cm (4.7in) was recorded in Aviemore.
Heading out of this weekend, Britain it set to be battered by Storm Ana, which could hit parts of the southern English channel
A gritter slid off the road near Trefnant in Denbighshire, Wales, as parts of Britain woke up to a blanket of snow caused by an Arctic airflow in the wake of Storm Caroline
The DFDS King Seaways arrives at the mouth of the River Tyne in windy conditions in South Shields, Tyne & Wear as parts of Britain woke up to a blanket of snow caused by an Arctic airflow in the wake of Storm Caroline
Horses in a field in Cloughoge, Newry, peer over a rocky wall as parts of the UK and Ireland woke up to a blanket of snow
People go sledding on the grounds of Stormont Estate, Belfast, following the snowy downfall in Britain over the past 24 hours
A Volkswagen got stuck on the verge after sliding on the ice along the A57 in the Peak District
Dramatic pictures from across the country have already revealed a number of stricken vehicles which have crashed on treacherous roads in Scotland, Flintshire, the Peak District and Derbyshire (pictured)
A car was left abandoned and covered in snow in the Derbyshire hills overnight, having clearly skidded on the icy roads
Snow is pushed off the roads in Ebbs Vales, Wales,. The A465 Heads of the Valleys Road reopened early following an accident due to the poor conditions and a gritter plough
The snow was causing chaos for commuters in Birmingham this morning, as they waited for their bus amid delays on the roads
A plough is busy clearing the way outside the Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen, which has seen heavy snow fall overnight
Early morning commuters are attempting to make their way through the blizzards which have hit Aberdeen, Scotland
A lorry slides off the road after over-night snowfall near Monyash – where plummeting temperatures are creating havoc on the icy roads
A Flybe flight battles with high winds as it lands at Leeds Bradford Airport with snow on the ground. Much of Britain has seen snow, ice and high winds has Storm Caroline makes it’s way over the country
Another yellow weather warning for snow has been issued for central parts of the UK, which is in place from 4am on Sunday until just before midnight
Heading out of this weekend, Britain it set to be battered by Storm Ana, which could hit parts of the southern English channel bringing some snow and gusts of 70mph.
The storm, which was named by Spanish weather agencies and is caused by a deep depression which is expected to travel of France, is believed to batter the Bay of Biscay but could affect southern parts of Britain.
Snow showers are currently affecting parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, northern England and the Midlands, with the potential for up to 20cm (8in) of snowfall as the day progresses.
Wind speeds of up to 90mph have created an Arctic air flow causing temperatures to plummet, with yellow and amber severe weather warnings issued across the country for Sunday.
Schools have been closed and commuters are facing havoc with cancelled trains and treacherous driving conditions, with Met Office forecasters warning motorists of dangerous, icy roads.
Lows of -12C (10F) are expected by Saturday night in Scotland with temperatures struggling to get above freezing over the weekend, combined with bitterly cold winds.
Storm Ana could bring strong winds to parts of southern England on Monday should the storm take a northern trajectory, yet it may not effect Britain should it take a southern trajectory.
The Met Office is unclear about what path the storm may take. A spokesman for the Met Office confirmed that it will be monitoring the storm over the weekend and will offer weather warnings if necessary.
Dramatic pictures from across the country have already revealed a number of stricken vehicles which have crashed on treacherous roads in Scotland, Flintshire, the Peak District and Derbyshire.
Forecasters said snow showers were likely to become more widespread throughout the day.
An Amber severe weather warning is in place for ice and snow across much of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and parts of northern and western England.
Some 8cm of snow has already fallen in Aviemore, in the Scottish Highlands while parts of Northern Ireland, Wales and areas to the west of the Pennines have also seen a covering.
Some 2-5 cm of snow is likely fairly widely, with 10-20 cm in northern Scotland, Northern Ireland, north Wales and perhaps the northwest Midlands.
Met Office meteorologist John West said: ‘We saw a fairly consistent stream of snow showers overnight, and there will be a constant feed throughout the day and into Friday.
‘We could see some fairly significant accumulations.
‘Broadly speaking we’re looking at 2cm to 5cm, but in more exposed areas we could see 10cm to 20cm.
‘It will also be bitterly cold, with highs of 2C or 3C outside those snow showers. But the wind chill is going to make it feel sub-zero.’
Rachael Adshead from the Met Office told MailOnline lows of -3.4C were seen in Spadeadam, Cumbria this morning, while snowfall in parts of Northern Ireland was already 10cm deep.
She said temperatures tonight could plunge to -5C in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England.
Cold temperatures are likely to remain well into next week, with forecasters also warning that Sunday could see further heavy snow showers.
Another yellow weather warning for snow has been issued for central parts of the UK, which is in place from 4am on Sunday until just before midnight.
A canoeist died yesterday in an accident on a ‘roaring’ river after getting stuck under a fallen tree, and more than 30 children had to be rescued when their school bus was hit by crashing waves.
National Park ranger Rob Steemson said: ‘One canoeist was trapped under a tree and unfortunately passed away.
‘The river obviously rises and falls quite quickly, but yesterday morning it was roaring.
‘With the heavy winds as well, quite a few trees have come down overnight and unfortunately that’s what’s trapped this person.’
Meanwhile, flood barriers have been put up on Newcastle’s Quayside as the North East braces itself for high tides, large waves carrying debris and possible coastal flooding.
Storm Caroline will result in some large waves and higher sea levels along the region’s coast as strong winds combine with high tides, forecasters have warned.
The Environment Agency has installed 250m of barriers on the banks of the Tyne as the weather conditions create a surge.
When thunderstorms form in wintry conditions they can give rise to heavy downpours of snow, known as thundersnow.
If the weather is cold the rain associated with a thunderstorm can then fall as snow -or thundersnow.
It is unusual because it can only occur in a few months of the year.
A father and his son walk their dog past a large snowman on Black Mountain in Belfast, Northern Ireland
Fizz the Collie dog had fun in the snow at woodlands near Muir of Ord in the Scottish Highlands
Hartington in the Derbyshire Peak District woke up to a thick blanket of snow first thing this morning, with freezing temperatures and lows of -3C
People making their way to work in Birmingham today donned wellington boots, umbrellas and fur coats
There was something of a picture-perfect scene in Austwick, North Yorkshire with snow-covered tree tops and hills today
Today will be cold and windy day with snow showers continuing across the West Midlands and Birmingham (pictured)
Scattered and heavy snow showers across northern Aberdeenshire and Moray, mixed with strong northwesterly winds, are creating hazardous driving conditions
Houses in Horwich, Bolton, were covered by snow today with the rest of the day likely to remain cold and windy, with wintry showers
There was a cold and crisp start to the day in Austwick, North Yorkshire, with bitterly cold northwesterly winds
Commuters in Birmingham, where it is bitterly cold today with more frost on the way throughout this evening, and further snow accumulations
There has been a cold and crisp start to the day with snow showers across the Peak District already this morning
A car makes its way along the A4059 in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales following heavy snow overnight in higher places across Britain
There was heavy snow fall in the early hours in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham (left) and in Chesterfield (right)
Temperatures are struggling to get above 1C in northern parts of the country today – particularly Aberdeen, which is seeing snow storms
There is a heavy blanket of snow covering the roads across Yorkshire today – with temperatures of around -2C
One driver struggled to charge their electric car when they woke up to heavy snow in Yorkshire
A lorry slides off the road after over-night snowfall near Monyash in the Derbyshire Peak District
Sleet and snow showers are working their way across Britain, with a yellow severe weather warning for snow and ice across the UK on Friday across Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and and the north of England – with more on the way Sunday
Up to 20cm of snow could fall across Scotland and 15cm as far south as Birmingham, with temperatures dropping by up to 10C in 24 hours
This interactive module, which is continuously updated, represents the picture across the UK. It shows high pressure sweeping across the country creating. Generated by a super computer and updated every three hours by the National Weather Service, the graph shows strong winds sweeping across the Atlantic and the Channel. Gales of more than 90mph can be seen directly over coastal areas and the south coast of the country.
Two stricken lorries jackknifed as they struggled along the treacherous roads in the Peak District this morning
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks have issued a checklist to help residents in the event of a power cut
Met Office forecaster Emma Sharples said an Atlantic weather system will move across from the west on Sunday and bump into cold air – leading to more snow.
Some 1-5cm could fall across southern parts of the UK, with 10-20cm across areas of higher ground.
Temperatures on Sunday could struggle to get above freezing in northern parts of the UK.
All schools and nurseries in Lewis, Harris and Uist in the Western Isles are closed to pupils as a precaution while 31 primary schools, five secondary schools and 19 nurseries in the Highland Council area and two schools in Aberdeenshire are shut.
And all schools in the Shetland Islands will also remain closed throughout Friday.
Motorists have filmed their perilous commutes to work and one driver captured the moment a huge wave washed over a commuter ferry in Scotland.
Ade Robertson was sailing across the River Clyde with Western Ferries last night when he captured the wave lashing the boat.
This graphic shows the temperature across the country as well as the wind speed, precipitation and air pressure as Storm Caroline sweeps across the UK. It also shows how the UK compares to other countries on the continent
Snow falls in Normanton, West Yorkshire. Winds speeds in Normanton are around 18mph, while temperatures are reaching highs of 2C
One hardy walker wrapped up warm and braved the cold as he took an early morning stroll in Rivington, Bolton
Frost-covered ponies wore their rugs as they grazed in a field near Bolton in Greater Manchester
The scene in Austwick, North Yorkshire, as parts of Britain woke up to a blanket of snow caused by an Arctic airflow
People have taken to social media to share photographs of the snow fall outside their homes today – as seen here in Birmingham
There is already a thick blanket of snow across the Midlands, and Met Office forecasters say it may stick due to the freezing temperatures
Commuters awoke today to find their cars covered in a thick blanket of snow, with drivers clearly struggling to navigate the icy roads
CHILDREN RESCUED AS WAVES BATTER SCHOOL BUS
More than 30 youngsters on board a school bus in Orkney had a ‘lucky escape’when it broke down in Storm Caroline
Huge waves broke over a sea wall and battered a school bus carrying children to Kirkwall Grammar School in Orkney yesterday.
They were rescued by a 4×4 in a dramatic operation and coastguards said it was not clear if the bus had got stuck because of the weather or suffered a mechanical failure.
The 33 children, plus driver, were safely transferred to a Landrover and taken to a harbour authority building after the incident at 11.20am at Scapa Beach Road in Kirkwall.
Former Kirkwall Lifeboat coxswain Geoff Gardens came across the rescue.
‘In all my years this is the worst weather I have seen for many a day. The children were very lucky,’ said Mr Gardens, 65, a coxswain of a pilot boat.
‘The children were all fine, but the bus was rocking. The waves were breaking over the wall – they were big.
‘It took quite a few runs to get all the kids off – they were calm throughout. It was quite a bad place to break down – but I don’t know if the bus stalled in the weather or by it. The road was very flooded there. It was some rescue.’
All schools in Orkney were closed from 11.30am yesterday.
Friday will be a cold and windy day, with some bright sunshine in Bolton, Greater Manchester. Wintry showers are also expected, especially in the south and Cheshire, with some snow lying especially over the hills
One man scraped snow off his car as he prepared to go to work this morning, as temperatures plunged to a biting -1C
Some took to the decision to trudge through the snow in Birmingham, avoiding the dangerous icy conditions on the roads
Highways England workers prepare their gritting and snow plough fleet at the A1 Carville Depot near Durham in readiness for the snow
This image shows the temperature across the country as well as the wind speed, precipitation and air pressure as Storm Caroline sweeps across the UK. It also shows how the UK compares to other countries on the continent
There was a Winter Wonderland scene in Saddleworth, Greater Manchester in the wake of Storm Caroline
The wintry showers will become more widespread over the weekend, with forecasters also issuing a yellow severe weather warning for snow and ice on Friday
A youngster ran to school through the snow near Crumlin in Belfast, Northern Ireland today
Scotland’s Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said: ‘With stormy weather expected across the north of Scotland we would urge people to check with their operators before they travel, especially if they are planning a ferry journey.
‘There may also be bridge restrictions, particularly for high-sided vehicles, and we would urge road users to check the latest information on wind thresholds on the Traffic Scotland website to see where this is likely.’
And a North Sea platform has shut down production due to safety fears over weather conditions caused by Storm Caroline.
CNR International said it would remove all of the 159 staff on Ninian South, about 240 miles from Aberdeen, from the structure as a precaution.
Meanwhile, Storm Caroline also brings a frontal system, which will mean a wet and windy start for the southern half of the UK, before cold temperatures set in.
It covers much of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and parts of northern and western England.
With the latest forecasts predicting heavy snow over the next few days, the bookies are offering just 1/3 on snow falling anywhere in the UK on Saturday or Sunday.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: ‘All the attention so far has been on a likely White Christmas, but the latest odds are suggesting we’ll see snow a lot sooner than expected as we strap ourselves in and wrap ourselves up for a potentially record-breaking December.’
There was heavy snow in the Scottish Highland town Kingussie, with more than 3cm falling overnight
Ponies stand in a snow-covered field that straddles the Irish border between Co Fermanagh in Northern Ireland and Co Donegal in the Republic of Ireland
There was heavy snow in the Scottish Highland town Kingussie – and residents got out and made the most of it
Josh Clewley harvests Brussels sprouts at Essington Farm in Wolverhampton in the run up to Christmas
A woman out walking her dogs in the picturesque village of Gorsedd, Flintshire
The treetops and spire of St Paul’s Church were covered in snow in Gorsedd when residents awoke this morning
Joggers got out and enjoyed the crisp start to the day at Ribblehead Viaduct in Yorkshire
Ribblehead Viaduct bathed morning sunlight in Yorkshire, as parts of Britain woke up to a blanket of snow
Snow fell across shops and vehicles in Chester, creating a prefect Christmas scene
Residents wake up to snow covered roads and hills in the Lickey Hills, Rednal, Birmingham
A snow blizzard raged in Chester throughout the day, with the streets notably quiet
The first light of day reveals a winter wonderland after overnight snowfall near Chelmorton in the Derbyshire Peak District
A woman wrapped up her woolly hat as she took shelter in a bus stop in Buxton, in the Peak District
Snow-covered cars snaked slowly along a snowy lane in Buxton, amid icy and dangerous conditions
Temperatures plunged to a freezing -4C in Saddleworth, Manchester with cold winds through the rest of Friday
One woman donned her bobble hat and wellies as she and her Dalmatian went out for a morning stroll in Manchester
Wintry showers are expected throughout Friday in Manchester, especially in the south and Cheshire
Greater Manchester: There is snow lying over the hills where hikers will need to wrap up against the bitterly cold winds