UK weather - as it happened: Met Office issues red severe weather warning amid travel disruption as heavy snow hits Britain
Hundreds of schools closed as conditions set to worsen
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Your support makes all the difference.Severe weather caused major travel disruption across the UK and Ireland on Wednesday as the “Beast from the East” tightened its grip.
Road closures, stranded vehicles and cancellations were widespread due to snow and ice.
Services on trains and planes were disrupted, with travellers urged to check with their transport provider before setting off on journeys.
Rail passengers were warned to avoid travelling to or from Scotland for all of Wednesday and into Thursday.
Meanwhile, hundreds of schools across Britain were closed for a second day.
Forecasters predicted the snow and freezing temperatures would not let up any time soon, prompting the Met Office to extend some of its weather warnings.
Rail companies warned delays may continue into Friday.
British Airways said the weather was likely to continue disrupting flights throughout the week.
From Thursday, forecasters predict that another weather system, Storm Emma, will bring blizzards, gales and sleet.
Follow along for live updates
The storm, named by the Portuguese Met Service, was expected to move north through Europe and was due to hit the UK on Thursday and Friday.
Additional reporting by agencies
Here are the latest reported issues on the roads:
Several roads across the country were left impassable following heavy snowfall overnight, forcing police to close large sections of major routes.
The worst areas are Kent, East Anglia and north-east England, but problems are spreading.
Drivers are being advised to avoid unnecessary journeys and stick to major routes where possible if they must travel.
The AA received three times as many breakdown call-outs than normal on Wednesday morning.
The firm's president, Edmund King, said: "We have already had more than 70 cases of drivers actually stuck in snow this morning.
"Our patrols are working flat out to pull vehicles out of the snow and to get them started.
"It looks like it will be a very busy day. The 'Beast from the East' has bared its teeth."
In Yorkshire, the A61 was shut between Harrogate and Skipton due to the conditions, while further north, in Durham, the A66 was closed between the A1M and A685.
The A1 in Durham was also closed between Scotch Corner and Catterick after a lorry jackknifed.
Highways England said the A1 in Cambridgeshire had to be shut due to severe weather, between the A1M and A6121 at Tinwell.
A number of lorries jackknifed and vehicles were caught in queues for more than three hours.
In Norfolk, police also reported roads being blocked due to lorries and cars becoming stuck in the snow, including the A11 southbound at Wymondham and the A143 at Haddiscoe.
Our travel correspondent, Simon Calder, took this picture as he walked through Hyde Park this morning.
"The four horsemen of the snow apocalypse," he wrote on Instagram. "Not Narnia, Hyde Park."
(Simon Calder)
The Met Office has issued a red severe weather warning for snow.
The red weather warning means "extreme weather is expected," according to the Met Office.
"Widespread damage, travel and power disruption and risk to life is likely," the Met Office guide says.
It urges the public to "take action now to keep yourself and others safe".
The Met Office said extreme weather is expected between 3pm today and 10am tomorrow.
It added: "Heavy snow showers and drifting of lying snow in the strong easterly winds will become more widespread across the area later on Wednesday afternoon, through the evening and overnight into Thursday.
"Roads will become blocked by deep snow, with many stranded vehicles and passengers. Long delays and cancellations on bus, rail and air travel are expected. Some communities could become cut off for several days. Long interruptions to power supplies and other services."
In its assessment of the red weather warning, the Met Office's chief forecaster said: "Snow showers already affecting the area will become heavier and more prolonged later on Wednesday afternoon and at times through the evening and overnight period, with 5 cm of snow falling within an hour in some places and lying snow reaching 20-30 cm and possibly 40 cm in a few places by mid morning on Thursday.
"Strong easterly winds will lead to significant drifting of lying snow."
Here are all the weather warnings issued for the UK.
(Met Office)
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