THE Met Office has warned that more snow will hit large areas of the UK as the whiteout causes road chaos and school closures.
High ground in northwest Scotland could see the worst conditions with forecasters predicting more than 40cm of snow could fall by the end of Friday as it continues to accumulate over the coming days.
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A postman braves the elements to complete his round in Austwick, Yorkshire, earlier todayCredit: LNP
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The Met Office recorded 15cm of snow at Aberdeen AirportCredit: Met
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Drivers have a tough time on snow-covered roads in Keswick, CumbriaCredit: PA
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Kayakers set off on Derwentwater, Keswick, in heavy snowstorm Credit: Jordan Crosby
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A driver makes his way cautiously along a road near AberdeenCredit: Newsline Media
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People at Camp Hill in Woolton, Liverpool made the most of the snow for sledding Credit: PA
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A bus makes its way along the A62 at Marsden Moor between Oldham and HuddersfieldCredit: Startraks
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There was enough snow in Liverpool’s Sefton Park for someone to build a snowman todayCredit: PA
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A rainbow of ice crystals could be seen over The Roaches near Leek in the Staffordshire Peak District Credit: ANDREW LLOYD
The Met Office said Caithness and Sutherland, in northwest Scotland, were likely to suffer the worst of the snow.
Much of Britain will face snow and freezing temperatures for much of this week as cold arctic air sets in with wet and windy weather set to take hold over the weekend.
Around 200 schools across Merseyside, Aberdeenshire, Moray and Shetland were closed due to the snow on Monday – read the full list of school closures here.
More than 120 schools in Scotland have been closed.
On Tuesday, 22 schools were closed in Aberdeenshire, while almost all others in the area either opened late, faced transport problems or were partially closed.
In the Highlands, 75 schools were closed, with others partially closed or delayed openings. Twenty-six schools in Shetland have been closed.
Altnaharra, a village in the Highlands, recorded the most snow today, with 16cm, while Wick in the far north of Scotland had 14cm and Aberdeen Airport 12cm.
Drivers faced tough conditions thanks to wintry weather across North West England, including Merseyside, Cheshire and Cumbria.
Lancashire Police said there was an ‘increased number of road accidents’ in the county, while Merseyside Police dealt with ‘a number of incidents’ on the roads due to the snow.
Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are in place across Scotland, much of northern England and parts of north Wales until Thursday, when colder temperatures are forecast along with wind and rain.
A “cold plunge of arctic air” has moved south across the country over the past few days, making temperatures 5 to 6 degrees below normal for this time of year, the Met Office said.
Forecasters predict that temperatures could drop to minus 15C in some places on Tuesday night.
More than 40cm of snow could be seen on high ground in north-west Scotland by the end of Friday as it continues to accumulate over the coming days, the Met Office added.
Meanwhile, low-lying areas of north-west Scotland could see between five and 10cm of snow by the end of the working week.
And although it’s unlikely, there’s a chance that the far south of England could get a few inches of snow this week.
The Met Office is reviewing the situation and any new warnings could be issued shortly, it said.
The weekend will be milder, but westerlies will bring wind and rain – and the potential for more weather warnings as the snow melts.
Stephen Dixon, a spokesman for the Met Office, said: “We’ve already seen quite a bit of snow, with more expected in coastal areas, northern Scotland, north-west England and south-west Scotland.
“That’s going to be a constant theme through most of this week.”
He added: “Going into the weekend it looks like more westerly influence will return, so wet and windy as we get to Friday, which will lead to a slight rise in temperatures.
“As Saturday approaches, you could see maximum temperatures of 11C in the south west of England, which is much milder than what we have seen of late.
“By Sunday we would see a fairly deep area of low pressure that will bring strong winds and heavy rain.
“Additional hazards will be snowmelt and precipitation on Sunday.”
The Government has confirmed that thousands of households in England and Wales are entitled to cold weather payments.
They are designed for vulnerable people, including pensioners, to help pay for heating when the temperature drops below freezing.
Payments go to those who live in an area where the average temperature has been recorded or forecast to be 0C or lower for seven consecutive days.
Payments will be made to homes across Cumbria, Oxfordshire, Yorkshire, Northumberland, Norfolk, Staffordshire and Powys in Wales.
The UK’s Health Safety Agency has issued a cold weather warning, which warns of possible impacts on the health and social care sector, while the National Highways Agency has put in place a weather warning for snow to hit north-west England on Tuesday, with road users advised to they plan ahead, and some rural communities warn that they could be temporarily cut off.
Amy Fellows, national network manager at National Highways, said: “Freezing conditions bring so many hazards such as snow and ice, so take all possible steps to understand your journey in advance and allow plenty of extra travel time to prepare for the unexpected .”
National Rail has warned that wintry weather could affect train journeys all week, and ScotRail said services on the Highland Mainline route will be delayed by around 30 minutes on Tuesday.
Met Office chief meteorologist Andy Page said: “There will be widespread frost this week and we could see some fairly deep snow in parts of the northern UK, with strong winds occasionally causing drifts or blizzards.
“Snow and ice will be disruptive and could potentially affect travel plans, make driving dangerous and roads slippery.”
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Rooftops in Northwich, Cheshire were covered in snow this morningCredit: Getty
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A cute dog is wrapped up warmly for walkers in Bowness on Windermere in the Lake District Credit: Dave Nelson
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A man tries to clear a path at Bowness on Windermere in the Lake District this morning Credit: Dave Nelson
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The Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Skipton is frozen over in Yorkshire this morningCredit: LNP
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The Met Office has a yellow weather warning for todayCredit: Met Office
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