Snow and ice warnings across UK as hundreds of schools close

Snow and ice warnings remain in place across many parts of the UK, as the Met Office warns disruptive snow could sweep across southern England this week.

Parts of northern Scotland will remain under amber warnings of snow until Tuesday night, while less severe yellow warnings cover large swathes of the UK until 11:00 GMT.

South-east and central England - areas not currently covered by weather warnings - could see heavy snow on Thursday and Friday, the Met Office said.

A low of -12.5C (9.5F) was recorded in Marham, Norfolk overnight, making it the coldest night of the winter, with the cold snap leading to some air and rail travel being disrupted, and hundreds of schools across the UK closing.

Most yellow alerts across the UK will expire by late morning on Tuesday, with the amber warnings for Scotland lasting until 19:00.

Heavy snow of 5-10cm has been widely forecast across central and northern regions of Scotland, with some areas set to see up to 15cm. A low of -11.2C was recorded at Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands overnight.

The Met Office has advised those in the area not to drive and to prepare for possible power cuts.

The agency says a yellow warning means some disruption is possible but many people can continue with their daily routine, while an amber warning indicates a higher risk of travel disruption, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property, with people advised to take precautions.

With the cold snap of Arctic air continuing, schools across the country continue to face closures. More than 330 were shut in Wales on Tuesday and more than 170 in Northern Ireland.

The Met Office said that parts of the south of England - much of which have missed the snow so far - may see some fall on higher ground on Thursday and Friday.

Northern and central areas of England could face more snow, rain and strong winds, depending on the path of the approaching Atlantic system.

Met Office forecaster Aidan McGivern said there was a 20% chance the system takes a northern route, which would bring widespread disruptive wind and rain to much of England and Wales, and possibly more snow in northern England, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland.

But he said there was a greater chance that the front moves through northern France, bringing disruptive snow to southern counties in England.

The most likely outcome is wind and rain in southern parts of the UK, with central England seeing the risk of disruption from snow, he added.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued amber cold health alerts for England which will run until Friday.

The wintry conditions have triggered the government's cold weather payments across 451 postcodes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Under the scheme, households on certain benefits receive £25 automatically if the temperature is their local area is recorded or forecast as 0C or below for seven consecutive days.