Summary

Watch: The latest weather forecast as cold snap hits UK

Live Reporting

Edited by Alex Smith and Tinshui Yeung

  1. How to keep your home warm, while saving money

    In the cold weather, it can be hard to stay warm and keep your energy bill down.

    Making your home more energy efficient can be costly and may not be possible if you're renting, but there are some cheap solutions to try to save money.

    Plugging gaps in your doors can stop heat from escaping. By simply adding a draught excluder - or even a rolled up towel - you can stop hot air from escaping.

    You can make your own draught excluder with an old pair of jeans and a few basic sewing items - with some more detailed instructions here.

    It's also worth getting some heavy curtains to help keep the heat in the room, if you don't have double-glazed windows, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

    Graphic titled “Plugging gaps can stop heat escaping”. It illustrates a front door with two highlighted areas: the letterbox and the bottom edge. For the letterbox, the graphic suggests using a flap or brush draught excluder. For the bottom of the door, it recommends a brush or hinged flap draught excluder. Source: Energy Saving Trust

  2. Watch: Snow falls across England

  3. New weather warnings issued by Met Office
    Breaking

    The Met Office has issued new weather warnings affecting parts of England and Northern Ireland.

    A new yellow snow and ice warning has been issued for all of Northern Ireland - in place from 17:00 GMT today until 12:00 tomorrow. The initial yellow snow and ice warning warning is due to end at lunchtime today.

    A new yellow snow and ice warning has been issued for parts of East Anglia, beginning from 17:00 today until 11:00 tomorrow.

    And an amber snow warning for tomorrow has been updated for parts of north-east England, largely covering the North York Moors. The start time has been brought forward from 05:00 to 03:00 tomorrow morning, and it is still due to end at 21:00.

    Read more about what the weather warnings mean here.

  4. School closures and hazardous roads as snow sweeps north Scotland

    Ken Banks
    North-east Scotland reporter, in Aberdeen

    Dozens of schools have been closed and travel warnings are in place after snow swept across northern parts of Scotland.

    Fifteen schools in Aberdeenshire and 20 in the Highland Council area are shut for the day. Several schools and nurseries in Shetland and three in Moray are also closed.

    Drivers also face difficult road conditions, with the A9 at Dunbeath in Caithness closed earlier due to a jack-knifed lorry. A car was also photographed crashed into a bollard and lamppost in Aberdeen.

    A yellow warning for snow and ice in the north of the country remains in place until Thursday night.

    A car crashed into lamp post in AberdeenBBC/Ken Banks

  5. Snow blankets Northumberland church and a wintry dog walk in Windsor - in pictures

    A church and the surrounding fields blanketed in snowPA Media

    Kiln Pit Hill, Northumberland

    A person walks in the snow with their dog, with Windsor Castle in the background up ahead. The snow is not settling on the groundReuters

    Windsor Castle, Windsor

    A robin on a branch with snow in the backgroundPA Media

    Newtonmore, Highland

    Houses and gardens covered in snow in a townPA Media

    Tow Law, County Durham

  6. How to drive in snow and icy weather

    Jennifer Clarke
    BBC News

    Graphic titled ‘Winter driving survival kit’ divided into two sections: ‘Wear’ and ‘Take.’ The ‘Wear’ section shows three red icons with labels: warm winter coat, scarf, hat, gloves; waterproofs; sturdy footwear. The ‘Take’ section displays nine red icons with labels: fully-charged mobile phone and charger; sunglasses; personal medication; first aid kit; sat-nav or printed route; breakdown emergency contact; blanket, rug or sleeping bag; shovel; ice scraper and de-icer; torch and batteries; chocolate or cereal bars; a flask of hot drink. Source: Gov.uk, AA

    Driving in severe winter weather can be difficult, and in very bad conditions you should avoid driving at all unless your journey is absolutely essential.

    But if you do need to use your car in snowy or icy conditions, careful preparations can help.

    Wear warm clothes and comfortable shoes. Pack a waterproof coat, hat, gloves, sturdy boots and a blanket to keep you warm in case you do get stuck or have to leave your car. You may also need sunglasses in bright weather.

    Make sure you have a fully charged mobile, a torch and batteries, and any medication you need.

    Carry a shovel to clear snow and some old bits of carpet, or cat litter, to put under the tyres if you get stuck.

    Graphic titled ‘Stopping distance in snow and ice.’ It compares stopping distances at 50 mph and 30 mph under normal conditions versus snow and ice. At 50 mph: normal conditions require 53 metres (15 m thinking + 38 m braking), while snow and ice require 395 metres (15 m thinking + 380 m braking). At 30 mph: normal conditions require 23 metres (9 m thinking + 14 m braking), while snow and ice require 149 metres (9 m thinking + 140 m braking). Average car length is 4–4.5 metres. Grey bars represent thinking distance; red bars represent braking distance. Source: Gov.uk, AA

    Consider buying winter tyres, which offer extra grip, especially if you live in an area which regularly experiences snow.

    Car batteries run down more quickly in winter. Take regular long journeys to keep yours running well, or consider using a trickle-charger, which is designed to stop your battery going flat.

  7. National Highways urges drivers 'not to be caught out' by winter weather

    Woman scraping snow off car roofOwen Humphreys/PA Wire

    Tow Law, in County Durham, is under a yellow weather warning this morning

    National Highways - which is responsible for operating and maintaining major roads in England - says its winter operation is now "in full swing".

    Darren Clark, the organisation's severe weather resilience adviser, says snowy forecasts and freezing conditions across England means gritters are "already completing their first runs of the season".

    He says: "We work closely with the Met Office, receiving updated forecasts throughout the day and our crews are on duty around the clock, ready to head out whenever they're needed."

    Clark also urged drivers to "not be caught out" by winter weather - making sure to top up on fuel, screen wash, and perform quick checks on lights and tires.

    "Quick checks...and planning ahead, can make all the difference when the weather turns."

  8. How cold does it need to be for snow?

    Simon King
    Presenter and meteorologist, BBC Weather

    Air temperature needs to be below +2C for it to snow.

    Some of our biggest snowflakes occur when the temperature is between 0 and +2 because snowflakes can stick together when they are slightly melted.

    This leads to what we would call ‘wet snow’, the best type for making snowballs.

    Drier, more powdery snow will occur when the temperature is generally a few degrees below freezing.

    Sometimes it can be too cold to snow, not because of the actual temperature but because the colder the air, the drier it is with no moisture for snow to form.

  9. Your pictures: Snow and ice hit parts of the UK

    We've been receiving pictures of the wintry conditions from you via the BBC's Weather Watchers.

    We'll be posting more throughout the day - please do keep them coming:

    A field and trees are covered in snowSpeygirl

    Nethy Bridge, Highland

    A road covered in snow, with tracks where vehicles have travelled along, creating mushy icegemtelf

    Rothley, Northumberland

    A snowman wearing a hat, with some grass coming through the snow on the groundMr C

    Glencoe, Highland

    Snow falls on two cars in a driveway. A little bit of snow is settling, but not enough to completely cover the groundPoppa J

    Four Marks, Hampshire

    A car stand in a garden while snow falls around itLaura B

    Ewell, Surrey

    Snow and frost cover the fields and trees on a hill, while fields and trees which are lower down in the foreground remain green and without snowMightyship

    Bucknell, Shropshire

  10. What weather warnings are in place?

    The Met Office currently has a number of weather warnings in place across the UK.

    There are yellow warnings for snow and ice in:

    • Until 12:00 GMT today - County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down, County Fermanagh, County Londonderry, County Tyrone
    • Until 21:00 GMT tomorrow - Angus, Perth and Kinross, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Na h-Eileanan Siar, Highland, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Argyll and Bute
    • Until 23:59 GMT tomorrow - Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland, Scottish Borders, East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North Yorkshire

    A yellow warning for snow and ice will also be in place from 12:00 GMT - in Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Swansea.

    Meanwhile there are yellow warnings for ice in:

    • Until 11:00 GMT - Parts of the East Midlands, East of England, London & South East England, North East England, North West England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire & Humber, Central, Tayside & Fife, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders, Strathclyde

    Weather warnings are issued by the Met Office and are given a colour – yellow, amber, or red – depending on their impact and likelihood.

    A yellow weather warning means there is the potential of bad weather situations causing disruption to travel and activities.

    Timings of these warnings vary. You can see how long your area might be affected for here.

  11. Send us your updates and pictures

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    What's the weather like where you are? Send us your wintry pictures and any questions you might have about how to navigate the cold snap.

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    In some cases a selection of your comments and questions will be published, displaying your name and location as you provide it unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published.

  12. Watch: The latest weather forecast

  13. Snow and ice hit parts of the UK, as cold snap continues

    Person walks dog along snow-filled road in County DurhamOwen Humphreys/PA Wire

    A person can be seen walking their dog along a snow-filled road in County Durham

    Some have woken up to snowy and icy conditions this morning, as a cold snap continues across the UK.

    Travellers have been warned to expect delays, and people have been advised to keep warm and check in on vulnerable friends, family and loved ones.

    Multiple Met Office yellow warnings are in force for snow and ice on Wednesday, with a more severe amber warning also issued for Thursday.

    Yellow and amber cold-health alerts have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) until Saturday.

    We'll bring you the latest developments, and tips for dealing with the cold weather.