Parts of Britain are under a white blanket today after three inches of snow fell overnight – with more on the way.
Forecasters have warned of plunging temperatures and travel disruption as motorists were urged to drive carefully, with Met Office warnings issued for snow and ice across much of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Conditions are set to get worse later this week with storm-force winds tearing across the UK. The most widespread severe weather is expected tomorrow night into Thursday morning, with winds gusting at up to 80mph.
Sheep sit on the snowy landscape of Stanhope in County Durham this morning after the area was hit by the white stuff
A farm house blanketed by overnight snow near Longdon Beck, as dawn breaks in the North Pennines this morning
Scotland wakes to heavy snow showers this morning as commuters make their way to work in Kirkliston, West Lothian
Sheep stand in a field blanketed by snow at Eggleston, near Barnard Castle, as dawn breaks in the North Pennines today
A snow covered garden is pictured today in Bathgate, West Lothian, after heavy snowfall across Scotland overnight
Dark clouds gather over Canary Wharf in East London this morning, with Blackfriars train station pictured in the foreground
Motorists were urged to drive carefully today as commuters drove to work in the snow in Kirkliston, West Lothian
Today, the A9 in the Highlands was closed at Dalwhinnie after a lorry jack-knifed in snowy conditions around 5.20am, blocking both carriageways. Road operators have been working to keep routes clear.
A Traffic Scotland spokesman said: ‘We’ve got 148 gritters out and we are seeing some heavy snowfall on some of the routes so it’s challenging driving conditions. We’re working to make sure the roads are open and safe to use.’
Frequent wintry showers have pushed in overnight. In areas which saw snow, temperatures dropped to between 0C (32F) to 2C (36F). Tulloch Bridge in Scotland, had the largest snowfall with 8cm (3.1in) coming down overnight.
Gritters are out in force across Scotland with particularly difficult driving conditions on the M8 near Easterhouse. The southern uplands of Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland have also seen flurries of snow.
Hail and lightning could disrupt power supplies, with up to 10cm (4in) of snow forecast. Snowfall of 1cm (0.4in) has been reported in Lough Fea, Northern Ireland, and further accumulations are expected throughout the day.
A radar image released by the Met Office this morning shows how snow as far south as southern parts of Wales
A snow and ice warning is in place for most of Scotland and Wales (left), with cold temperatures expected this morning (right)
Temperatures will only make it up to 7C (45F) today (left), with morning temperatures feeling as cold as -7C in Scotland (right)
Temperatures will remain slightly warmer in the South compared to the North on each day of this week in Britain (pictured)
Luke Miall, a forecaster at the Met Office, said: ‘The forecast for today is it’s likely to become a bit more wintry so we could be seeing snow for many areas, with northern and western areas seeing frequent showers.’
There is a greater chance of snow further south across parts of Wales and the Midlands later today. A snow and ice warning is in place for these areas, with 6cm (2.4in) of snow expected over the hills and 2cm (0.8in) in lower levels.
Mr Miall added: ‘It will stay cold, we will continue to feel that wind from the north west, quite gusty, so feeling bitterly cold outside today.
‘There could well be some travel disruptions and, with slippery roads and pavements, there could be some treacherous conditions to contend with, so we would advise people to take extra care.’
After the snow and ice of today, showers are expected to continue into the night with wintry showers tomorrow, especially across the north. The worst of the winds are expected tomorrow night into Thursday morning.
A fleet of snowploughs battled against heavy snow showers and freezing temperatures this morning in Cumbria
Parts of County Durham and Cumbria have been hit by heavy snowfall overnight as the country faces severe weather
Overnight snow blankets a field at Eggleston in the North Pennines this morning as dawn breaks over Britain
Snow falls over Kirkliston, West Lothian, as drivers were urged to take extra care on the roads this morning
A pedestrian walks along a snowy pavement in Kirkliston, West Lothian, as Britain was hit by weather warnings today
Big Ben is covered in scaffolding as dawn breaks over Westminster and the Houses of Parliament this morning
The Shard, the Oxo Tower and other London landmarks are pictured as dawn breaks over the capital this morning
A Met Office warning, issued for all of England and Wales, Northern Ireland and southern Scotland, says: ‘There is the potential for gusts of 60 to 70mph quite widely and a small chance of winds reaching 80mph in places.
‘A spell of heavy rain can also be expected. We have a very unsettled picture for the rest of this week, particularly with the low-pressure system coming in from the Atlantic on Wednesday into Thursday.
‘Beforehand, showery conditions will be widespread, and could be wintry. In between, some places may receive spells of sunshine.’
Rescuers who searched overnight in atrocious weather for a man on a 3,000ft Snowdonia peak found a body at the foot of a gully yesterday morning.
Mountain rescue teams scoured Tryfan for the man in his 30s from North Wales who was reported missing on Sunday night. His body was found at 10.30am. He is thought to have fallen from the West Face.