Burst of snow is first taste of winter

THICK snow could bring glee for some and gloom for others today as drifts up to 20cm deep were forecast for parts of the country overnight.

- Chris Riches

It comes after more than 200 schools were forced to close yesterday as icy conditions brought the mild autumn to a freezing end.

Temperatures plunged below zero on Monday night and as low as -11.2C at Braemar in Aberdeenshire - the coldest night since last winter.

Commuters faced chaos with roads and rail affected by the ice and snow.

By yesterday afternoon, 141 school closures had been reported in Wales, with 50 in the West Midlands and 19 in Derbyshire as an Arctic airmass swept in, with 12cm of lying snow recorded at Watnall, Nottinghamshire.

The UK Health Security Agency issued its first amber cold weather health alert of the season, warning conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including the elderly.

The warning covers the east and north of England, the Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber, with yellow alerts coming into place for the South East, South West and London until 6pm on Saturday.

Yesterday there were five snow and ice warnings across Britain, most running into today, with the Met Office advising vehicles may end up stranded, power lines downed and rural areas cut off.