Heavy snow causing disruption in some parts of Northern Ireland

Heavy snow has fallen overnight in County Londonderry

Heavy snow has fallen in parts of Northern Ireland, especially across counties Fermanagh, Tyrone, Londonderry and Antrim.

A Met Office warning for snow and lightning ended at 20:00 GMT on Thursday, but an ice warning remains until 09:00 on Friday.

Several schools closed on Thursday and there was some disruption to bus and rail services.

There were reports of thunder and lightning to the west of Fermanagh.

Reports suggested that 7cm of snow was lying in the Sperrins and about 3cm at lower levels.

A small number of schools in counties Londonderry, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Antrim closed.

Travel disruption

There was some disruption and delays due to lying snow, reduced visibility in the heavy snows showers and ice.

On Thursday morning, Translink said its Ulsterbus services were subject to delays and some cancellations due to the snow, "particularly on rural roads".

On its website, Translink also warned that disruption to its services would continue into Friday.

A lorry gritted the streets in Crumlin ,County Antrim, after heavy snow on Thursday

Translink added that it was working hard to keep services operating and apologised to customers for any inconvenience.

It added: "Passengers are advised to allow extra time for their journeys and to keep up to date with timetable information through Translink's social media channels, journey planner and contact centre."

All buses, including local, school and express services, were suspended in Dungannon for a period of time while some minor routes in Ballymena and Londonderry were also not serviced.

Carnmoney in County Antrim also experienced heavy snowfall overnight

On Wednesday, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs advised the public not to visit forests, country parks and nature reserves in affected areas while the weather warning was in place.

Difficult driving conditions could be experienced in Omagh, County Tyrone, due to the snow

The Met Office yellow weather warning explains there could be a risk that some rural communities could be cut off, while there is a small risk that some buildings and structures could be damaged.

It also informs the public there is "a small chance of injuries and danger to life from lightning strikes".

Snow fell at Wallace Park in Lisburn

Sheep sheltered from the Snow in Crumlin, County Antrim