Hundreds of schools in Britain remained closed for a second day today as more trains and flights were cancelled after further heavy snow fell in -10C temperatures.
Schools in Aberdeenshire, Shetland and Orkney stayed shut after pupils enjoyed an extra day of holiday yesterday following the Christmas break due to the weather.
Pupils in England awaited an update on openings today after dozens of schools shut yesterday in Cheshire, Lancashire, Northumberland, Yorkshire, Lincoln and Norfolk.
The overnight low into this morning was -10.1C (13.8F) at Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland – while England dropped to -10.0C (14.0F) at Marham in Norfolk.
Severe conditions again disrupted road, air and rail travel on the morning commute today with some train lines blocked after heavy snow drifted onto the tracks.
LNER told passengers travelling between London King’s Cross, Leeds and Edinburgh to ‘defer travel until further notice’ due to a broken rail, and also issued a separate ‘do not travel’ warning between Edinburgh and Aberdeen because of heavy snow.
ScotRail reported disruption due to the snow on its routes between Inverness and Aberdeen, Kyle of Lochalsh, Elgin and Wick; as well as from Aberdeen to Montrose.
Great Northern said a frozen set of points in Norfolk meant trains could not run between Kings Lynn and Ely; while the conditions also cancelled Merseyrail’s Wirral services between Maghull and Rice Lane and between Liverpool and Rock Ferry.
Wintry conditions in Scarborough yesterday as snow falls over parts of North Yorkshire
Those in West London using the Elizabeth line, Great Western Railway or Heathrow Express also faced major disruption after damage to the overhead electric wires.
Five flights from Aberdeen Airport were cancelled – four KLM planes to Amsterdam and an easyJet service to Gatwick; while three arrivals from Amsterdam were axed. Flights to and from Amsterdam were also cancelled at Inverness Airport this morning.
It comes as disruptive snow, wind and rain could hit parts of southern England this week, as an Atlantic low-pressure front meets an Arctic airmass over the country.
The Met Office said that even parts of the south may see some snow on higher ground on Thursday and Friday, while northern and central areas of England could face more snow, with rain and strong winds, depending on the path of an approaching Atlantic low-pressure system.
Forecaster Aidan McGivern that there is a 20 per cent chance the system takes a northern route, which would bring widespread ‘disruptive’ wind and rain to much of England and Wales, and possibly more snow in northern England, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland.
But he said there was a 30 per cent chance that the front moves through northern France, bringing disruptive snow to southern counties in England, especially in higher areas.
The most likely outcome is wind and rain in southern parts of the UK, with central England seeing the risk of disruption from snow, he added.
Rain turning to snow will hit Scotland and northern England today, with 1cm to 5cm likely in northern England and 10cm to 15 cm in central and eastern Scotland, the Met Office said.
Two amber snow warnings have been issued in northern parts of Scotland until this evening, while there are also yellow snow and ice warnings across southwest England, northern England, eastern England and Wales.
A yellow ice warning is in place in Northern Ireland.
A yellow warning means some disruption is possible, such as travel delays, but many people can continue with their daily routine, according to the Met Office.
An amber warning indicates a higher risk, with severe weather likely to cause travel disruption, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property and people are advised to take precautions.
The areas covered by the amber warnings include parts of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highland, Angus and Perth and Kinross.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued amber cold health alerts for England as an early warning that adverse temperatures are likely to affect health and wellbeing, running until Friday.
Overnight into this morning temperatures will once again fall below freezing for much of the country, with the lowest temperatures over lying snow possibly dipping to -12C, the Met Office said.
Temperatures dropped to -10.9C at Shap in Cumbria overnight into yesterday, and 52cm (1ft 8in) of snow was recorded by the Met Office at Tomintoul in Banffshire.
CalMac Ferries said services on the west coast of Scotland would be disrupted during today.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of households are getting £25 cold weather payments to help with heating costs amid the dropping temperatures, the UK Government said.
They are made to vulnerable people, including pensioners, to help them pay for heating when the temperature dips below freezing.
Cold weather payments have been triggered on four separate days – December 30, January 1, January 2 and January 3 – covering a total of 451 postcode areas in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Alzheimer’s Society urged people to check in with family and neighbours with dementia to ensure they are kept warm by dressing in layers, keeping rooms warm, using blankets or hot water bottles, staying active, getting natural daylight, maintaining routines, taking care on icy surfaces and eating and drinking regularly.
Angelo Makri of the Alzheimer’s Society said: ‘There are currently around one million people in the UK with dementia, and for many families caring for a loved one with the condition, winter can be a worrying time.
‘Knowing how to best support someone with dementia during the challenging colder months, by regularly checking in with them and following these useful tips, can help to make sure they are comfortable, safe and able to stay as independent as possible. This can also give carers important peace of mind.’
Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell said: ‘The forecasted heavy snow showers and ice means driving conditions are likely to be hazardous in some areas.
‘Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary during the weather warnings.’
Ministers met police, local authorities, utilities companies and other bodies yesterday to discuss recovery efforts and to prepare for further snow and ice warnings.
After the meeting, Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said snow across northern Scotland has had a ‘significant’ impact, and that a ‘huge effort’ was going into keeping transport moving and public services open.
‘At present, there is still some travel disruption but trunk roads are open and rail, ferry and air services are working to get back to normal as quickly as possible,’ he said.
‘Likewise, many schools are closed today but remote learning is in place for young people while contingency plans are in place for affected health and social care services.
‘There will be further snow and ice, with yellow warnings in large parts of Scotland and temperatures set to remain cold, so impacts will continue to be felt in the coming days which could include transport problems and I would encourage everyone to plan ahead, look out for each other and pay close attention to the range of weather and travel advice available.’
Mr Swinney also paid tribute to the ‘truly exceptional’ efforts of farmers, volunteers and members of the public in helping clear roads, dig out cars and keep people safe, which he said showed ‘heartening’ community spirit.
He added that ministers will continue to keep the situation ‘under review’.