More than 200 schools close and trains cancelled as snow causes disruption across parts of UK
Snowfall has caused hundreds of schools across the country to close and disrupted travel, as ITV News' North of England Reporter Kelly Foran reports
More than 200 schools in England and Wales have closed on Tuesday as snow and ice caused disruptions across the country.
By Tuesday afternoon around 140 schools had closed in Wales, with around 50 in the West Midlands and 20 in Derbyshire.
The weather conditions also led to train cancellations and road delays, while motorists have been urged to take extra care.
The Met Office put three yellow warnings for snow and ice in place in the North, the Midlands, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – advising that vehicles could be stranded, power cuts may occur and rural areas could be cut off.
The yellow warnings for England and Scotland were in place for Tuesday morning.
Snowfall was widely reported, with 12 cm of lying snow recorded at Watnall, Nottinghamshire on Tuesday morning as an Arctic airmass influenced the UK’s weather.
Monday night saw sub-zero temperatures for much of the UK, reaching as low as -11.2C at Braemar in Aberdeenshire.
Thousands of train passengers have been affected so far by the weather.
By 11 am, 64 of out of the 120 services planned by East Midlands Railway were cancelled or delayed by at least half an hours, while London North Eastern Railway had 37% similarly affected.
Transport for Wales, West Midlands Trains and CrossCountry have also seen more than 10% of their services impacted by the weather.
Travellers are advised to check their local rail app or social media and plan their journeys ahead.
National Highways sent out a severe amber weather alert for snow, with the M1 in Leeds and Sheffield, the M56 in Manchester, junction 39 of the M6 and junctions 21-23 of the M62 likely to see disruption.
What is the forecast?
A yellow snow and ice warning was in place for early Tuesday covering Northern Ireland.
Another yellow alert is in place until 10am on Wednesday, covering areas in Scotland, while a third was in place for Tuesday morning, covering areas in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the north of England.
Within affected areas, there is a chance of power cuts, disruption to road and public transport and the risk of injury from slipping on ice.
It comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season this week.
The amber warning covers the east and north of England, midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber, with yellow alerts coming into place for the South East, South West and London at 8am on Tuesday, lasting until 6pm on Saturday.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, from the UKHSA, said this is the first amber Cold Weather Health Alert of the season.
"We can expect more as we approach winter, and it is vital to check in on vulnerable friends, family and neighbours to ensure they are well prepared for the onset of cold weather. Particularly if they are elderly or otherwise at increased risk.”
While the weather has caused disruption for many, others - and their pets - have been enjoying the frosty conditions
Charity Age UK warned that the conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including the elderly.
Ms Abrahams said it is “vital” that older people stay “fit, warm and well if they can” by having hot food and drinks throughout the day, wrapping up warm and sleeping with the windows closed.
The Alzheimer’s Society meanwhile warned cold weather can be “particularly challenging” for people with dementia.
“Colder temperatures can be difficult for a person with dementia to adjust to, and they may not always be able to communicate that they are cold – or they may not even recognise it themselves,” the charity said.
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