Snow causes travel and power disruption

A man has died as severe wintry weather disrupted transport and power supplies across much of the UK.

The body of the 27-year-old man was found in deep snow in farmland near Burnley in Lancashire, police said.

A number of roads and airports were shut and many sport fixtures cancelled, after Friday's snow left some motorists trapped in their vehicles overnight.

A Met Office warning of snow covers Northern Ireland, much of England, northern Wales and south-west Scotland.

The body of the man, who has not been named, was found by a farmer in Brierfield, near Burnley, Lancashire, at about 13.30 GMT.

Police said he had been walking home after a night out with friends.

Some motorists were trapped in their cars overnight in Dumfries and Galloway, and about 20,000 homes are still without electricity in Northern Ireland after a blackout on Friday.

Near Bala in Gwynedd, a couple spent 18 hours trapped in their car in a snow drift from 14:00 GMT on Friday until a search and rescue team reached them at 08:00 GMT on Saturday and walked them to safety.

Saturday's severe weather follows snowfalls across parts of the UK on Friday which resulted in the closure of hundreds of schools.

The continuing wintry weather has seen snow falling across central and northern parts of the country and spreading to parts of south and south-east England.

Motorists across much of the UK have been advised to exercise caution, as roads have become impassable or been closed in many parts of the country.

In Scotland, thousands of homes are without power in Dumfries and Galloway, around Campbeltown in Kintyre, and on the islands of Arran, Islay, Jura and Bute, with blocked roads, high winds and blizzards hampering the repair effort.

Northern Ireland Electricity said it could be days before all the power supply problems there are fixed.

And about 2,000 homes in north Wales are without electricity after heavy snow.

In other developments across the UK:

• Rescuers involved in the Gwynedd operation said the couple had become stuck after following sat-nav instructions and warned motorists to use "common sense"

• In Northern Ireland, the road and rail networks, flights and ferries have also been disrupted

• Motorists are being urged not to travel in south-west Scotland unless the journey is essential, owing to snow and high winds

• Saturday flights at Leeds Bradford airport only began operating in the afternoon, after the runway was cleared of snow, and passengers were warned of delays and advised to check with their airline or tour operator before arriving at the airport

• All flights at Humberside Airport have been cancelled due to snow. East Midlands Airport runway has now reopened

• Snow across the UK disrupted the weekend's sporting schedule

• Tributes have been paid to a woman who died on Friday when her home collapsed after a landslip at Looe, Cornwall, caused by torrential rain

The prolonged cold snap has sparked fears that the UK will run out of stored gas.

However, the National Grid has said there is "plenty of gas available", and the Department of Energy and Climate Change has said gas needs are being met.

The BBC Weather Centre said Sunday was going to be predominantly dry.

But it warned that the cold winds were expected to continue, and that temperatures would struggle to get above freezing across many central areas.

Next week would generally see drier and brighter conditions, but it was expected to remain very cold and some snow showers were likely, the forecast said.