The New Year has started with an Arctic chill as snow and ice warnings have prompted travel disruption in parts of the UK.
Travellers have been warned of delays and cancellations as heavy snowfall and freezing conditions are expected to descend over the weekend.
ScotRail announced several train cancellations on Saturday in the north of Scotland, while a number of roads in the region have also been closed.
Shetland, parts of the far north and north east of Scotland were under an amber snow warning until noon.
The Met Office warned that heavy snow showers could see some rural communities cut off, as well as a risk of power cuts in some areas.
Nearly all of Scotland above Edinburgh and Glasgow fall under a yellow snow and ice warning until 12pm on Monday, along with all of Northern Ireland.
Much of Wales will fall under a yellow ice warning over the weekend while both the south west and east coast of England could see heavy snow in the coming days.
The Met Office warned those in the region that travel disruption at the weekend was likely. There was also a risk of injury from falls on icy surfaces, the forecaster said.
A car attempts to navigate the snow covered roads in Easington, England on January 3
A snow plough is seen on the A93 in Aboyne, Scotland after the Met Office’s amber warning
A boy wraps up warm to build a snowman in Ballater, Scotland on January 2
A couple brave the cold in Aberdeen, Scotland as an amber warning remains in force
Multiple cold weather alerts remain active on Saturday as the UK looks set to shiver through the first weekend of 2026.
Six yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are in place, with the latest warnings reaching into Monday, while several amber snow warnings for northern Scotland and Shetland are in place throughout Saturday.
The Met Office said areas covered by the amber alerts could see 10-20cm of snow at lower altitudes and 30-40cm of snow on higher ground, while winds could cause blizzards.
It follows a bitterly cold night which saw the mercury plunge below 0C across the UK, and fall to -6C in Hurn, Dorset.
Elsewhere, a yellow warning for snow is in place across western Wales until 10am with an ice warning until 12pm on Sunday, and on the east coast until midnight.
A yellow warning for ice is also in place in the southwest until 10am, while snow and ice warnings are also in place across the whole of northern Ireland until noon on Monday.
Heavy snowfall has already covered parts of Scotland as up to 40cm is predicted in the country, as well as around 5cm in England and Wales.
Arctic air has plunged much of the UK into sub-zero temperatures, with nearly -6C being recorded at Loch Ness on Friday night.
People walk along a partially frozen canal near Llangollen in North Wales on January 3
Members of the public attempt to travel in the snow in Aberdeen, Scotland on January 3
People pull children on sleds in Glenariffe, Northern Ireland on January 3
A snow plough clears snow on the Whitby to Sandsend road on January 3
Daytime temperatures are expected to remain in the low single figures for much of the country on Saturday, and below freezing in parts of northern Scotland.
ScotRail announced several cancellations on Saturday morning including in Wick and Inverness.
Avanti West Coast said overrunning engineering work between Carlisle and Lockerbie meant all lines to Glasgow Central and Edinburgh were blocked.
Met Office chief meteorologist Rebekah Hicks said: ‘Arctic air and brisk northerly winds are gripping the UK as we start the new year.
‘Snow and ice warnings remain in force for many areas, with the risk of heavy snow showers, especially across northern Scotland and over higher ground elsewhere, though many inland areas will stay largely sunny and clear.
‘Bitterly cold conditions will persist through the weekend and into next week, with daytime temperatures struggling to rise above freezing for some, and overnight lows dipping to minus double figures in places.
‘We urge people to stay #WeatherAware, keep up to date with the forecasts and plan ahead as icy roads and slippery surfaces are likely.’
On Saturday afternoon, Network Rail Scotland said that some lines in northern Scotland were seeing snow accumulations of around 20cm.
A person walks down the snow covered sea front in Scarborough in Yorkshire amid heavy snow on Saturday
Residents in Bridlington, on the Yorkshire Coast, awoke on Saturday to a thick blanket of snow
A woman pulls along two children on a sledge by snowmen in Tynemouth in the northeast of England
A dog walker wraps up warm as they take their pet for exercise early on Saturday in Heaton, Newcastle
Temperatures plummeted in Whitby, North Yorkshire overnight as snow descended early this morning
Traffic on the A171 between Whitby and Scarborough faced blizzard conditions on Saturday morning
A small dog plays in the snow in Whitby, Yorkshire today
Snow ploughs were deployed to the A171 on Saturday morning as inches of snow and a blizzard made driving conditions difficult to navigate
The fountains and ground at Trafalgar Square in central London froze over after a night of sub-zero temperatures in the capital
Posting on X, the rail infrastructure operator said: ‘Strong winds between Aberdeen and Laurencekirk are causing the drifting snow that’s closed the northbound line at Laurencekirk.
‘One of our snowplough locomotives is on the way to clear and reopen the line.
‘We’ve seen in the last hour the heaviest snow over the Aberdeen – Laurencekirk area, and Aberdeen – Inverness lines, in particular between Inverurie and Keith.
‘Those areas will continue to see snow persist, likely getting heavier too.’
Meanwhile many roads faced becoming blocked – on the A171, drivers faced blizzard conditions and dozens of vehicles became stuck, forcing some drivers to abandon their cars.
The Met Office said the mercury dropped as low as -5.7C at Drumnadrochit on the shore of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands on Friday.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued warnings across England which are in place until 10am on January 9.
Its amber cold health alert means that the weather is expected to have severe impacts across health and social care services.
A man clears snow from his car in Lythe, North Yorkshire after inches fell overnight into Saturday
A dog enjoying the snow near Hannahstown, Co Antrim, northern Ireland on Saturday
Dog walkers ventured out in the cold in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside on Saturday morning after heavy snowfall overnight
Swimmers braved the cold to enter the sea in just swimming costumes and trunks in Cullercoates Bay, North Tyneside on Saturday
Swimmers at a lido in St Albans break up ice floating on the surface of the pool early on Saturday morning
Two women smile as they make their way towards the sea in Cullercoates Bay, North Tyneside today
A farmer feeding his sheep near Handale in North Yorkshire in wintry conditions on Saturday
Warnings of further snowfall continue throughout much of the day in Scotland and England (Pictured: Cullercoates Bay, North Tyneside on Saturday)
The alert has been issued for the East Midlands, West Midlands, North East, North West, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and London.
Officials expect a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions, with impacts also possible on younger age groups.
The British Heart Foundation said cold weather can present specific risks for people with heart problems because the heart has to work harder, which can exacerbate existing health conditions.
The organisation said there are thousands of additional deaths from heart and circulatory disease in the winter months every year in the UK.
Ruth Goss, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘Cold temperatures can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and people with cardiovascular disease are also more at risk of serious illness if they get seasonal respiratory infections like flu.
‘It’s especially important that people living with heart conditions are well prepared for the cold snap this winter by wrapping up warm and having their free flu jab.’
Meanwhile, NHS South West London urged people to ensure they have sufficient food and medicine, keep bedroom windows closed, wear multiple layers of thinner clothing and ‘heat rooms you spend most time in, to 18C if you can’.
Sir Sadiq Khan said homeless people in London will be sheltered with temperatures set to plummet below freezing during ice-cold evenings.
Swans were seen sliding and slipping on ice on Hollow Pond, east London this morning
A woman pulls luggage through heavy snowfall and freezing conditions in Bridlington, Yorkshire, on Saturday
Swimmers and their dogs enjoy a cool dip at Cullercoates Bay after temperatures plummeted to below freezing overnight
Snow covered rooftops in Whitley Bay this morning as weather warnings remain in effect across large parts of the UK
Two women take a walk with an infant in Newcastle upon Tyne on Saturday morning
Members of the public take to Tynemouth Beach in the northeast of England on Saturday
Mother Clem with daughter Mathilda enjoy sledding in Whitby, Yorkshire, on Saturday
The Mayor’s Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) has been activated to provide emergency accommodation for rough sleepers.
It comes after a 67-year-old man who was pulled from the water during a major rescue operation off the East Yorkshire coast died.
A second body was later recovered from the sea before search efforts were called off shortly after midnight.
They were set to resume at first light today as authorities search for one more person.
Rescue crews launched a dramatic search following reports of a ‘number of people in difficulty in the water’, near Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, on Friday afternoon as the Arctic chill grips Britain.
HM Coastguard, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, Humberside Police, and Humberside Fire and Rescue all scrambled crews to Withernsea at around 3.15pm to try and rescue those in the freezing sea.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service initially said four people had entered the water. But by 7.15pm on Friday, HM Coastguard said it was searching for several people, having previously said it was reporting to ‘a number of people in difficulty in the water’.
Humberside Police has confirmed that the man was pulled from the water, but tragically died shortly after at the scene.
Members of the public clear snow from outside their homes in Aberdeen, Scotland on Saturday morning
Children took to sledging at the Angel of the North in Gateshead on Saturday morning
A lorry parks up during blizzard conditions on the A171 between Whitby and Scarborough on Saturday
A couple take a walk in the countryside amid snow-covered hills near Hannahstown, Co Antrim
A family uses a rail crossing in Whitby, Yorkshire on Saturday morning after snow descended overnight
The rescue operation continued into the night amid freezing temperatures.
It comes just one day after people were not allowed to enter the sea for the annual New Year’s Day swim event due to large breaking waves, and amid a yellow weather warning for snow and ice on the Yorkshire coast.
Snow showers are expected overnight, with the Met Office reporting a likelihood of around one to three cm of snow, with up to eight cm possible in places.