Hundreds of homes across the country are without power this evening.

Western Power Distribution said there were around 1,300 customers without power , external- caused by a mixture of weather-related faults and normal problems.

There are blackouts in Birmingham and the surrounding area where 770 properties are affected, as well as more than 300 premises affected in Leicester.

Hundreds of properties are also without power in the north east of England, external, where cuts are more scattered, including a blackout in Leeds.

SP Energy Networks said earlier that the power network in central Scotland was "holding up well despite the weather".

Miles Davis
BBC News Online

The snow has created some incredibly dramatic landscapes around the Westcountry that are rarely seen.

Surf photographer Dan Sedgwick took this picture looking across Perranporth beach on the north coast of Cornwall.

Image source, Dan Sedgwick

Snow fights, sledging and more as people across the UK enjoy the wintery weather.

Arriva Trains Wales, external: Many services have already been suspended all day on Friday, while others have been suspended until at least 13:00. Other services will be reduced and four lines will operate as usual. But, the operator warned of short notice cancellations and delays.

c2c, external – Services may be cancelled, delayed or revised, as has been the case so far this week.

Caledonian Sleeper, external - All services were cancelled on Thursday, but no update has yet been issued for Friday.

Chiltern Railways, external - Short notice cancellations and 30 minute delays on Thursday, but no update has yet been issued for Friday.

CrossCountry, external - On Thursday trains between Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle were suspended with delays in Devon. The company is predicting disruption until Monday. It is asking passengers to travel at a time as close as possible to their booked journey but tickets will be accepted on all trains.

East Midlands Trains, external - Several trains cancelled in and out of London St Pancras. No trains will run between Sleaford and Skegness. Nottingham to Skegness services will only run between Nottingham and Sleaford. No trains will run between Lincoln Central and Grimsby Town.There will be a reduced service of one train per hour in each direction between Nottingham and Worksop.

Grand Central, external - All trains cancelled on Thursday, with no information yet for Friday.

Greater Anglia and Stansted Express, external - Passengers are advised to only travel if necessary. Many routes will operate on a Saturday service.

Great Western Railway, external - No updates yet available for Friday.

Heathrow Connect, external - No updates for Friday.

Heathrow Express, external - No information for Friday

Hull Trains, external - Limited services between Hull and Doncaster.

Northern, external - No updates yet for Friday.

ScotRail, external - No services during the morning peak as safety checks are made.

Southeastern, external - Services running on modified timetable.

Southern and Gatwick Express, external - No updates yet issued for Friday.

Thameslink, external- A normal service is expected.

South Western Railway, external - No information yet for Friday.

TfL Rail, external - No information yet for Friday.

TransPennine Express, external - No trains from Preston to Glasgow or Edinburgh with other services also disrupted.

Virgin Trains, external - Trains unable to run in Scotland.

Virgin Trains East Coast, external - No trains from Newcastle to Edinburgh with passengers advised not to travel until Saturday.

Soldiers have been called in to transport hundreds of hospital staff in Scotland through extreme weather conditions.

Soldiers from 3 Rifles and 2 Scots, based in Dreghorn Barracks and Penicuik, were deployed at 18:00 on Thursday to support the movement of about 200 critical care workers over their shift change periods at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Western General.

It comes while an amber warning for snow covers much of Scotland, with the weather severely affecting NHS services.

The troops will use defence and commercial four-wheel drive vehicles to move the workers with the aid of Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Rob England
BBC News Online

Three community rest shelters have opened to help drivers and passengers stuck in traffic on the A38 near Haldon Hill and on the A30 at Okehampton, a Devon County Council spokesman has said.

The communities of Chudleigh, Kenn and the college at Okehampton are offering shelter refreshments, blankets and sleeping bags at Chudleigh town hall and the community hall at Kenn near Exeter.

The community college in Okehampton has also opened its doors.

The RNLI has shared a video recorded by one of its coxswains at Bridlington in East Yorkshire.

"Never seen weather like it or know it last for so long," the lifeboat helmsman said on Twitter.

About 100 vehicles are stuck on the A35 Puddletown bypass in Dorset with the road closed in both directions because of the weather.

Ch Insp Alan Setchell of Dorset Police urged those stranded to stay in their vehicles and said if anyone has any "urgent medical need" they should contact the force on 101 and give their precise location.

He said emergency services are working to help those stranded.

Mr Setchell also urged other people not to drive.

Two teenagers were seriously injured when they were trapped beneath a falling conifer in Manchester.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service used a chainsaw to cut the two men free on Erskine Road in Blackley at about 14:00.

A spokesman said the pair suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries.

High winds have dislodged some roof panels on the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital in Glasgow, with insulation material being blown off the top of the building.

The city's health board says it has cordoned off the area around the building.

A spokeswoman said no-one has been hurt and it has not affected patient care.

An off-duty police officer jumped into a freezing lake in Potters Bar to save a dog that had got in trouble.

PC Jake Pike was in a nearby restaurant when he saw the dog, called Heidi, run into the lake. He said his "instinct kicked in" and he took off his coat and dived in.

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

Cornwall’s city has had a share of the snow flurrying around the county.

Image source, Andrew Segal

Image source, Andrew Segal

Image source, Andrew Segal

Image source, Andrew Segal

BBC Cumbria

Cumbria Police have repeated their request for people not to drive, with strong winds and freezing temperatures adding to the hazardous conditions.

Supt Mark Pannone said: "This is not the normal snowfall Cumbria sees most years.

"It is making conditions treacherous and I ask you not to drive unless your health, or the health of someone else, would suffer if you didn't.

"We rarely say don't drive and we hope that on this occasion people will take heed.

"The north and east of the county are currently worst hit but the next 24 hours will be bad across the county."

Image source, Traffic Scotland

Scotland's fleet of salt-spraying gritters have had their work cut out this past week.

Many of Transport Scotland's gritters are given humorous names including Sir Salter Scott, Ready Spready Go and Ice Queen.

The gritters can be tracked, external live online. Read more about them here.

Image source, Met Office

The Met Office has extended its amber warning for snow in Scotland until 10:00 GMT on Friday morning.

It has also extended the area covered by its amber warning for wind and snow further east.

Here's a run down of the latest severe weather warnings, external:

• Red warning for wind and snow in the south west of England and Wales from now until 02:00 on Friday
• Amber warning for snow for a large swathe of Scotland until 10:00 on Friday
• Amber warning for wind and snow for the Midlands, Wales, parts of London and the south east and south west of England until Friday at 08:00
• Amber warning for snow for parts of Northern Ireland, mainly along the east coast, until 10:00 on Friday
• Yellow warning for ice for the whole of the Midlands, south of England and northern Ireland from midnight on Saturday until 09:00
• Yellow warning for snow from midnight on Friday until just before midnight on Saturday for northern England and Scotland
• Yellow warning for snow and ice for the north east of Scotland from 00:05 on Sunday until 23:55 GMT on Monday

The RAC said it had attended 8,000 breakdowns across the UK as of 17:00 GMT - with the West Midlands the busiest region.

A spokesman said: "Conditions continue to be very challenging for drivers with an ongoing risk of disruptive snow and then ice from tomorrow.

Image source, Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

"Our patrols are doing everything they can to reach stricken motorists.

"Drivers should think about whether their journey is really necessary and keep tuned to forecasts and updates from Highways England and its equivalents in Wales and Scotland."

Rob England
BBC News Online

Jonathan Huelin has been taking pictures of today's snow in the south west of the island.

You may recognise some of these sights on the walk between La Moye and Corbiere lighthouse.

Image source, Jonathan Huelin

Image source, Jonathan Huelin

Image source, Jonathan Huelin

Image source, Jonathan Huelin

Baby Sienna arrived after her parents pulled over in the snow, realising they wouldn't make it to hospital in time.