The UK has been hit with a huge dumping of snow on what should be the first day back to school and work for millions.
The huge dumping of snow has prompted huge widespread disruption (Image: Getty)
As millions of Brits return to work and children head back to school, heavy snow and severe winter weather is causing mass disruption across large parts of the UK today. Amber weather warnings are in place, with blizzard conditions forecast to develop in several regions.
Overnight temperatures dropped sharply, reaching a low of –9.3C (15C) in Benson, south Oxfordshire, increasing the risk of dangerous icy conditions on roads and pavements. The difficult travel conditions come on what the RAC describes as the worst day of the year for vehicle breakdowns, adding further pressure to commuters during the busy post-holiday return. The Met Office has issued four amber warnings for heavy snow in parts of northern Scotland, including Aberdeenshire and the Cairngorms, as well as Orkney and Shetland.
Widespread weather warnings cover the UK (Image: Met Office )
These areas face the threat of severe travel disruption as powerful winds and possible blizzard conditions move in.
The amber alert warns that 5-10cm is likely to fall fairly widely, with a few places seeing 20-30cm over mainland Scotland.
In the yellow alert area, forecasters predict that Grampian, the northwest Highlands, and Aberdeenshire will see the most frequent snow showers, with 5-10cm likely to fall fairly widely and a few places seeing 20-30cm.
The latest brutal cold snap has prompted widespread weather warnings across the country, with hundreds of schools closed in Scotland and Wales on what should be the first day back.
In Wales, 102 schools are closed in Swansea alone, with closures also in place in Carmarthenshire and Gwynedd.
Millions of Brits have woken to a dumping of snow (Image: Getty)
A yellow weather warning for snow and ice has been put in place across Wales, running from 12pm on Sunday until 12pm today, with widespread frosty conditions expected throughout the country.
In some areas, school grounds have already been blanketed by snow, leaving car parks, playgrounds and surrounding spaces unsafe, resulting in staff and pupils being unable to attend due to the hazardous conditions.
A separate yellow weather alert for snow and ice covering South West England and Wales will come into effect at 12pm today and will remain in place until 11am tomorrow.
Elsewhere, a yellow weather warning for snow and ice is in place for the North East, East of England, the Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber. This warning came into place at midnight and will remain in force until 11am tomorrow morning.
Large swathes of London, the South West, East of England and East Midlands are currently covered by a large yellow alert for snow and ice. The warning came into place at 8pm yesterday evening and will remain until 11am today.
As a result of the weather warnings covering 12 regions, the Met Office has issued the following warning: “Take extra care during the Monday morning commute and check before travelling
“Snow and ice will lead to some difficult travelling conditions.”
The 10 regions and local authorities issued a warning:
Scotland:
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Dundee
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
Grampian
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Highland
Orkney & Shetland
- Orkney Islands
- Shetland Islands
Wales:
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Denbighshire
- Flintshire
- Gwynedd
- Isle of Anglesey
- Neath Port Talbot
- Pembrokeshire
- Powys
- Swansea
- Wrexham
- Blaenau Gwent
- Monmouthshire
- Bridgend
- Caerphilly
- Cardiff
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Monmouthshire
- Neath Port Talbot
- Newport
- Torfaen
- Vale of Glamorgan
- Wrexham
England:
East Midlands
- Derby
- Derbyshire
- Leicester
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Northamptonshire
- Nottingham
- Nottinghamshire
- Rutland
East of England
- Bedford
- Cambridgeshire
- Central Bedfordshire
- Essex
- Hertfordshire
- Luton
- Norfolk
- Peterborough
- Suffolk
London & South East England
- Buckinghamshire
- Milton Keynes
- Oxfordshire
- West Berkshire
South West England
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Bristol
- Devon
- Dorset
- Gloucestershire
- North Somerset
- Somerset
- South Gloucestershire
- Swindon
- Wiltshire
West Midlands
- Herefordshire
- Staffordshire
- Warwickshire
- West Midlands Conurbation
- Worcestershire
Yorkshire & Humber
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- Kingston upon Hull
- North East Lincolnshire
- North Lincolnshire
- North Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
- York
North East England
- Darlington
- Durham
- Gateshead
- Hartlepool
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- North Tyneside
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- South Tyneside
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Sunderland
