Thanks for joining us. You can follow the UK weather situation throughout the afternoon here.

Today's live coverage was edited by Alex Therrien and Victoria Lindrea. It was written by Maria Zaccaro, Andrew Humphrey, Emily Atkinson and Jake Lapham, with contributions from our colleagues at BBC Weather and regional correspondents.

We'll shortly be closing our live page, so here is a brief summary of the current weather situation.

• Amber snow and ice warnings remain in place for north Wales and north-west Shropshire, as well as the Peak District and south Pennines
• Yellow warnings for snow and ice are current in much of northern England and Scotland, Northern Ireland, north Wales and the Midlands
• Snow is accumulating in towns at higher elevations, such as Buxton in Derbyshire

• Some schools in north Wales, the Peak District, south Pennines, Derbyshire, Kirklees and Bradford have been closed
• Several roads in Derbyshire and Sheffield are closed as conditions worsen, with motorists urged to slow down and allow extra travel time
• Some rail rail services were cancelled in South Wales and Wiltshire because of flooding. Commuters can monitor the latest updates here, external

Snow is combining with strong winds in Derbyshire to create blizzard-like conditions.

X user 'StormChaserLiam, external' posted this video, taken in Buxton.

At 1033ft (315m) above sea level, Buxton is one of the highest towns in England. So, perhaps unsurprisingly, it is facing some dramatic weather today.

Image source, DOI

Snow is expected to cause disruption to local travel across the Isle of Man this afternoon and evening.

The A18 Mountain Road, which is the main route between the capital, Douglas, and the north of the island, has been closed due to hazardous conditions, police said on Thursday.

An amber weather warning for gales and heavy snow on ground above 800ft (244m) will remain in force until 20:00 GMT.

The island also has a yellow warning for dangerous waves in place until 01:00 GMT on Friday.

You can read more on the conditions on the Isle of Man here.

Several roads have been closed due to traffic conditions, as weather conditions worsen.

In Derbyshire, road closures included the A515 at Brierlow Bar, the A537 Cat and Fiddle and the A5004 Long Hill, while a crash has led to the closure of Nottingham Road and Stretton Road in Tansley.

In Sheffield, there is disruption due to abandoned cars blocking the tramway, while North Wales police warned of incidents, external in rural areas of Denbighshire, Flintshire & Wrexham

The RAC is advising motorists who have to go out in the snowy conditions to check their vehicles and not take any risks.

"It's vitally important drivers follow guidance from the Met Office and others accordingly whenever there is a warning for severe weather issued," said RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis.

A recent survey by the motoring organisation found that four in 10 drivers (39%) still elect to get behind the wheel, regardless of the amount of snow on the roads.

Mr Dennis said waiting until weather conditions improve "might well be the safest and best course of action", but urged drivers determined to venture out to "adjust their driving styles".

"A car's braking distance can increase by up to 10 times when there's snow and ice on a road, meaning it's vital to check all tyres have plenty of tread and slow down considerably to reduce the chances of a collision," he said.

As we just mentioned, there is a weather warning in force in Northern Ireland until 06:00 GMT on Friday, with rain, sleet, and snow expected to cause some disruption.

Snow is expected to be mainly over higher ground, with lower levels unaffected.However above 150m, there is a risk of icy conditions and people are being urged to drive with extra caution.

The snowfall is anticipated to taper off later, and may be followed by rain and drizzle, particularly in southern and eastern areas.

Towards the coast, mini-blizzard conditions could develop alongside a brisk easterly wind.

Irish weather service Met Éireann is warning of snow and ice across much of the Republic of Ireland.

You can read more here.

As we head into the afternoon, it's a good time to take another look at what weather warnings are currently in force across the UK.

• Amber warnings for snow and ice for north Wales and north-west Shropshire, as well as across the Peak District and south Pennines
• A yellow warning for snow and ice for northern Scotland and Northern Ireland
• A yellow warning for snow for much of northern England, north Wales and the Midlands
• A yellow warning for rain across much of southern England and south Wales

Image source, MET OFFICE

When we look at the weather forecast, we often see a percentage figure alongside raindrops. But what does that mean?

As the Met Office explains, external, the percentage indicates the chance of precipitation (that is rain, sleet, snow, hail or drizzle) over a certain period of time.

That's expected to be as high as 90% across most parts of southern England on Thursday.

Matt Taylor
BBC Weather

It’s not just about the snow today.

Rain has made for a rather unpleasant Thursday so far across many areas of England and Wales.

Wettest conditions have been in south Wales and south-west England. Between midnight and 11:00 GMT, around one inch of rain has fallen for some.

33mm: South Dartmoor, in Devon

31mm: Swansea

29mm: Treherbert, in Rhondda Cynon Taf

25mm: Maesteg,in Bridgend County Borough

22mm: Tenby

And there’s more heavy rain to come across southern areas this afternoon and evening.

If you're just joining us here's a quick recap on what's been happening today:

• Dozens of schools have closed in north Wales, including all the schools in county of Flintshire, in anticipation of heavy snow
• But the closures prompted complaints from parents who, earlier this morning, said there had been no snow

• There have also been closures in England in the Peak District, South Pennines, Derbyshire, Kirklees and Bradford
• Amber snow and ice warnings are in force for north Wales, north-west Shropshire, the Peak District and the south Pennines
• After a rainy start to the morning for many, snow has begun to fall in a number of areas and forecasters have warned the worst is yet to come
• On the railways there have been some delays and cancellations in South Wales and Wiltshire because of flooding. Southern Rail passengers have been warned to expect problems due to coastal winds
• And drivers have been advised to allow extra time for journeys because of the snow and ice they may face

• Yellow weather warnings for snow, ice and rain are in place across many parts of the UK, including northern and central England, as well as the north of Scotland and Northern Ireland

Image source, PA Media

It's not just snow and ice causing disruption this morning - heavy flooding in South Wales and Wiltshire has also been causing problems for train passengers.

Network Rail says trains running between Bridgend and Cardiff Central may be delayed or cancelled after flooding between Pencoed and Cardiff Central and in the Llantwit Major area. Services are expected to return to normal by 12:00.

In West Yorkshire, a landslip between Shipley and Ilkley means all services will be cancelled from 13:00 until the end of service today.

And some lines are blocked by flooding between Swindon and Chippenham in Wiltshire, with disruption predicted to last until 12:30.

You can check the latest service updates on the Network Rail website, external.

Matt Taylor
BBC Weather

Today was always going to be a fine balance between rain and potentially very heavy snowfall in some areas.

I mentioned earlier that the intensity of the precipitation could be crucial. We are now seeing the intensity pick up in north Wales and the north-west Midlands. This is turning more of what was falling as rain to snow.

As that higher intensity area moves north, snowfall will become heavier on the hills of north Wales, the Peak District and Pennines over the coming hours, before turning back to rain. It could also mean some lower lying areas will see a bit more snow, mixed in with the rain, at times.

Even ahead of that, we are now seeing the forecast snow start to arrive more widely on the north Pennines and Northern Ireland.

The Met Office yellow warning for snow in southern Scotland now has an earlier start time of midday, indicating that things are progressing a little quicker than expected earlier.

More pictures are coming in of snow settling in the picturesque market town of Buxton, in the the Peak District.

An amber weather warning is in place for the area until 18:00 GMT.

It's worth pointing out that Buxton is particularly prone to snow due to its elevation - roughly 1,000ft (305m) above sea level, making it the highest market town in the UK.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Parents in a county in north Wales have voiced their frustration after schools were closed for today because of an amber weather warning, only for no snow to arrive.

Seventy-eight schools have been shut in Flintshire, where an amber warning for snow and ice has come into effect.

But no snow has fallen and parents have taken to social media to complain.

Emma Louise Williams commented: "So here we are, 7:35 am and not a snowflake in sight."

Flintshire council has apologised for the disruption caused.

Read more here.

The Met Office had warned that today's snow, ice and rain was likely to affect travel.

The good news is that so far we have only found limited problems on the railways.

Southern has warned travellers that services could be disrupted today and on Friday because of the weather.

And Network Rail says high winds and heavy rain are expected across some coastal routes, which could result in delays, revisions or cancellations.

You can check services you're planning to use on the Network Rail services updates site here, external.

Image source, Reuters

While the snow is disruptive for many, it's also magical...

Why do snowflakes have six sides? Is it true that no two snowflakes are the same?

Take a moment to reflect on the wonder of snow with Prof Brian Cox, in this BBC Ideas animation exploring the science of snow.

Matt Taylor
BBC Weather

Why is raining and not snowing where I am?

It basically comes down to temperature.

Fractions of a degree can be crucial to the balance between rain and snow, and for a large area of north Wales, northern England and Northern Ireland that will be the case today.

First of all, the temperature doesn’t have to be below 0C. Even if your thermometer is reading 2 or 3 Celsius, temperatures a little higher up in the atmosphere can be sub-zero.

Snow falling from the clouds above may not have had the chance to melt before hitting the ground. This is also the reason why hillier areas may get snow, but the valleys don’t.

The intensity of precipitation can be crucial too. The heavier it is, the more likely it is to cause the temperature to drop and what falls will be snow. This is why you may see it chopping and changing between rain and snow over small periods of time.

With cold air in place for some today, and mild air pushing up from the south, that balance will be a fine one for some.

We're today focusing on snow and ice across much of the UK, but it's worth keeping in mind the bigger picture when it comes to the world's climate.

As our colleagues in the Science and Environment team report, global warming has exceeded 1.5C across an entire year for the first time on record, according to the EU's climate service.

In 2015, world leaders promised to try to limit the long-term temperature rise to 1.5C, which is seen as crucial to helping avoid the most damaging impacts on the environment.

While this first year-long breach doesn't break that landmark "Paris agreement", it does bring the world closer to doing so in the long-term.

You can read more on this story here.

Image source, .

With snow and ice expected across parts of England, Scotland and Wales, a number of weather warnings have been issued.

BBC Weather's Carol Kirkwood has all the details.

As Matt Taylor was saying earlier, it's been a wet start to the day for many of us but snow has been falling in some areas.

Here's a selection of images from BBC Weather Watchers, where you can look at pictures posted from across the country.

Image source, StormChaserLiam

Image source, Moshella

Image source, mr twister

Image source, Tina Scartop

Image source, Tattie-Bogle