Britain braced for cold snap

Freezing temperatures, thought to have made today the coldest March day since 1986, have affected travel across the UK.

Ice and snow has disrupted travel in large parts of the South of England and the unseasonable weather conditions are expected to continue overnight.

Britain's cold snap is set to remain over the next couple of days and weather warnings are still in place.

Snow showers are consistent in the South East and biting winds will persist into this evening.

An overnight frost is set to cause travel disruption tomorrow with ice on pavements and roads.

ITV Weather Presenter Alex Beresford has the full forecast:

A safari park's newest resident has been tucking into a meal in the snow.

Bela, an 11-year-old Amur tiger, got stuck in to a calf's leg for breakfast, which was strung up on a chain and hung from a tree in her enclosure.

She arrived at Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling, during the closed season over the winter.

Bela was brought to the park from Lisbon Zoo as part of the European Endangered Species Programme.

Freezing temperatures mean today is on track to be the coldest March day since 1986, forecasters said.

The unseasonably cold weather left travellers battling ice and snow, with the South of England being worst hit.

Jersey Airport was shut due to snow, and on the roads there were hazardous conditions on many major routes.

Blizzards were reported on the M40 in Warwickshire and there were numerous rush-hour accidents.

Strong winds added to drivers' problems with falling trees blocking some roads, while on the trains poor rail conditions led to delays in Sussex and Hampshire.

Read: More on the cold snap which has struck Britain.

Commuters battled ice, snow and bitterly cold winds this morning as the winter weather returned.

Jersey Airport was shut due to snow, and on the roads there were hazardous conditions on many major routes.

Blizzard conditions were reported on the M40 in Warwickshire and there were numerous rush-hour accidents.

Strong winds added to drivers' problems, with falling trees blocking some roads.

On the trains, poor rail conditions led to delays in Sussex and Hampshire, while there was also a number of signalling problems.

Forecasters warned of snow spreading to nearly every area of Britain, with almost 4in (10cm) expected in the worst-hit areas.

Monday morning commuters should give themselves some extra time either to scrape away the frost or sit in the rush hour a little longer - be cautious of icy stretches, especially on back roads where we have had any rain, sleet or snow.

Through the day southern areas are expected to see further snow accumulations. Brighter in the north but frequent wintry showers have also been forecast to come inland off of the North Sea.

Wherever you are it is winter woolly weather with a lot of places struggling to reach one degree Celsius, and a bitter easterly wind really accentuating an already raw day.

An amber snow warning is to take effect between 5am and 9am in the south west of England this morning, according to the Met Office.

The notice warned of "significant" snowfall in south Devon and Dartmoor and warned commuters to be prepared for disruption to travel.

The south west of England could see significant falls of snow across south Devon and Dartmoor overnight as the Met Office issues an Amber weather warning.

Some parts of the region could see snowfall of up to ten centimetres, with travel disruption expected.

• South West England

Elsewhere across the country, a Yellow warning is in place, with several centimetres expected in parts, and potential travel disruption.

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• London and South East England, North East England, North East England, North West England, Orkney and Shetland, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders, South West England, Strathclyde, Yorkshire and Humber, Yorkshire and Humber