The Met Office has issued several amber weather warnings as Britons brace for snow amid a cold snap.
Amber alerts for snow are in place until 12pm today, covering parts of northern and eastern Scotland.
The forecaster said the affected areas could see 10-20cm of snow at lower altitudes and 30-40cm on higher ground, while winds could cause blizzards.
Snow has already resulted in widespread disruption to roads and railways in parts of northern Scotland, and the Met Office has warned of a risk of power cuts, communities being cut off and vehicles becoming stranded.
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Yellow warnings for snow and ice are also in force across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and central and southern England, with some spanning more than 48 hours.
The Met Office has warned cold Arctic air now covers most of Britain, with temperatures well below average, widespread frost and ice and an increasing risk of snow showers.
Snow is expected to settle on the ground in some areas, particularly in northern and some central areas.
There is also a risk of widespread ice, making travel hazardous.
Several weather warnings are in place across the UK today
|MET OFFICE
Chief Forecaster, Neil Armstrong, said: "With Arctic air now covering most of the UK very cold weather will continue through the weekend, with minus double figures overnight in places and daytime temperatures struggling to rise above 0°C for some.
“It looks like this cold spell could last well into next week and wintry hazards will continue with more weather warnings likely.
"It is therefore important people keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings and plan ahead."
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Snow showers are piling in from Scotland
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Full list of weather warnings currently in place
Amber warnings for snow
Orkney & Shetland
- Shetland Islands
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Perth and Kinross
Grampian
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Highland
Yellow warnings for snow and ice until 10am
Wales
- Bridgend
- Cardiff
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Denbighshire
- Gwynedd
- Isle of Anglesey
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Neath Port Talbot
- Pembrokeshire
- Powys
- Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Swansea
- Vale of Glamorgan
- Wrexham
South West England
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Cornwall
- Devon
- Dorset
- North Somerset
- Plymouth
- Somerset
Yellow warnings for snow and ice until 12pm
Northern Ireland
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
Yellow warning for snow and ice until Sunday
East Midlands
- Lincolnshire
East of England
- Norfolk
North East England
- Durham
- Gateshead
- Hartlepool
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- North Tyneside
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- South Tyneside
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Sunderland
Yorkshire & Humber
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- North East Lincolnshire
- North Yorkshire
The snowy conditions could lead to travel disruption
|PA
Yellow warning for snow and ice until Monday
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Dundee
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
Grampian
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Na h-Eileanan Siar
- Highland
Orkney & Shetland
- Orkney Islands
- Shetland Islands
Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute
- Inverclyde
- West Dunbartonshire
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also issued warnings across England which are in place until 10am on January 9.
The amber cold health alert means that the weather is expected to have severe impacts across health and social care services.
The alert has been issued for the East Midlands, West Midlands, North East, North West, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and London.
Officials expect a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions, with impacts also possible on younger age groups.