Four dead in car crashes after heavy snowfall hits UK
Video report by ITV News North of England Correspondent Damon Green
Four people have died in car crashes as police warned of treacherous road conditions amid heavy snow across Britain.
Three were killed after a car crashed and overturned in Lincolnshire after hitting a lorry on the A15 at Baston near Bourne on Tuesday morning.
Officers told ITV News that they are investigating the cause of the incident - but the adverse weather conditions could be to blame.
Another man died following a collision on the A47 in Cambridgeshire.
Lincolnshire Police said there were 20 collisions within three hours on the county's roads, including a school bus with 45 pupils on board.
The children were unharmed after their bus collided with a car and veered off the road near Deeping St James.
Another person was injured and the A120 was partially closed after a 17-car pile-up between Colchester and Elmstead Market, Essex Police said.
HGVs struggling in the snow caused delays on the M20 in both directions between junctions eight and nine, adding up to two hours to journey times.
Twitter user @BradVXR wrote: "Stranded vehicles scattered all over the M20 London bound between J9 and J8 - motorway is at a crawl."
Slow-moving traffic caused delays on the M2 in Kent westbound, between junctions seven and five, Highways England said.
The A249 in Kent was closed following a crash between two lorries.
Conditions are not likely to improve for several days, with forecasters warning that snow will continue well into the week.
Merseyside Police urged people to take care while driving, and said the force had received reports of a crash on the M62 just before junction 5.
And the North West Motorway Police tweeted that it was on the scene of a crash on the M6 eastbound at junction 5 after a car span across all three lanes and hit a tree.
They later reported there were no injuries.
Meanwhile, dozens of stranded motorists had to be pulled from snow drifts on Tuesday morning, the AA added.
Vince Crane, of the AA, said: "With the sub-zero temperatures this week, drivers should allow extra time to properly de-ice the car and check their route before setting off - try to favour gritted roads if possible.
"Accidents happen when people rush so when on the road, leave plenty of space behind the car in front and drive to the conditions."
The Met Office said Kent and parts of the South East had already seen approximately 1cm of snow by 5am on Tuesday, while the North East, including Newcastle and Northumberland, had seen between 3cm and 4cm.
Heavy showers were expected to continue throughout the morning and cripple much of the country's travel network.
TRAVEL DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS
Trains and planes have also been affected by the snowfall, with cancellations and disruptions on railway lines across the country.
Southeastern, which operates in Kent, has cancelled dozens of trains, including several to London St Pancras, London Victoria and Cannon Street.
The company tweeted to say its website is down and advised customers to check Network Rail for journey information.
Train firm c2c is operating a limited timetable and advises its customers not to travel where possible.
Greater Anglia is also running a limited service, with less frequent and slower services between Norwich and Ipswich as well as cities such as London and Cambridge.
National Rail Enquiries said customers using the following services should check ahead for delays or cancellations as disruptions could continue into Thursday:
Southeastern
British Airways has cancelled several flights from Heathrow Airport, while easyJet warned disruption to its flights was expected.
British Airways said in a statement it was preparing for adverse weather until March 2, saying it was "likely to affect some of our short-haul and domestic flights".
It added: "It is likely at times we will have to proactively cancel some services and re-book customers on to alternative flights.
"Customers on cancelled services can also claim a full refund if they no longer wish to travel.
"We are sorry for the potential disruption to your travel plans and are doing all we can to minimise the effect the poor weather may have on our flights."
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Hundreds of schools have also been forced to closed due to the Baltic conditions.
School closures are in place in the following counties in England:
East Sussex - 62
Essex - 14
Kent - 131
Lancashire - 27
Norfolk - 36
North Yorkshire - 29
Staffordshire - 4
Surrey - 10
West Yorkshire - 22
Schools closed in Wales include:
- Conwy - 58
- Denbighshire - 35
- Flintshire - 40
- Gwynedd - 67
- Isle of Anglesey - 21
Helicopter footage shows a snow-covered Kent
Despite the treacherous conditions, some social media users have reacted with delight to the snowy scenes, including Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Amber warnings for snow are in place for the South East and North East of England and the East Midlands until midday, while a yellow warning covering much of the country is in force until midnight.
Forecasters are predicting 5cm to 10cm of snowfall for most areas of the UK, with up to 40cm possible for higher grounds in Scotland.
Conditions are not likely to improve for several days, with forecasters warning that snow will continue well into the week.
An amber snow warning is in place for the North East of England and Scotland from 6am on Wednesday to 12pm on Thursday, with up to 40cm of snow expected to fall during that period.
Forecaster Frank Saunders said parts of the country could see their "coldest spell of weather since at least 2013, and possibly since 1991".
It is expected that the mercury could plummet to minus 15C by midweek where there is snow on the ground, rivalling temperatures forecast for parts of northern Norway and Iceland.
From Thursday, forecasters predict that another weather system, Storm Emma, will bring blizzards, gales and sleet as it meets the chilly "Beast from the East" later this week.
The storm, named by the Portuguese Met Service, will move north through Europe and is due to hit the UK on Thursday and Friday, and will be "significantly disruptive", bringing the risk of power cuts and transport delays.