UK
UK weather: Hundreds of schools closed as snow and weather warnings issued and trains cancelled
Hundreds of schools in the UK were closed on Thursday after temperatures fell to lower than minus 13C (8.6F) for the second night in a row.
Travel across the country will be affected on Thursday, with trains cancelled and warnings in place across large parts of the UK at times, as the cold snap continues.
The lowest recorded temperature overnight was minus 13.6C (7.5F) at Tulloch Bridge in the Highlands, slightly warmer than 24 hours earlier, when it got as low as minus 14C (6.8F) – the coldest night of the winter so far.
Thursday’s warnings. Pic: Met Office
With as much as 20cm (8 inches) of snow forecast to fall across northern Scotland, the Orkney and Shetland Islands, the Met Office has issued an amber warning for snow in those areas, lasting until 6pm on Thursday.
An amber warning means people should be ready to have any plans disrupted by severe weather, including through travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property.
All the schools in Orkney and Shetland were closed on Thursday and many have been shut since Monday.
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Around 130 schools in Aberdeenshire were shut and others have delayed openings.
Other parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland have a yellow snow and ice warning for the whole day, while further wintry outbreaks are expected over the next 24 hours in the north and northwest of the UK.
Other shorter snow and ice warnings are in place for Wales and southwest England, eastern England and parts of southeast England, but all are due to finish by noon on Thursday.
Snowy conditions on Whitby seafront in Yorkshire
Met Office chief meteorologist Jason Kelly predicted “a significant topping up of [snow] totals over the next couple of days, especially for those in the north of Scotland.”
The area of the amber warning could see an additional 15-20cm (6-8 inches) in a few locations.
He also warned of snow drifts and “temporary blizzard conditions” amid strong winds.
Travel warnings are also in place across Scotland, with several rail lines either not running or taking longer.
Scotland’s transport minister Fiona Hyslop said trunk roads had been gritted, but others may be impacted and urged people to allow extra time for their journeys or delay travelling.
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Great Northern, Thameslink, ScotRail and South Western Railway have already been impacted by delays and National Rail warned the wintry weather could affect other train journeys on Thursday.
People in Northern Ireland have been urged not to travel unless it is “absolutely essential” because the biggest public sector strike in the region’s recent history means only limited gritting has been carried out on the roads amid zero-degree temperatures.
Snow covered roads in Marden in Whitley Bay, on the England’s North East coast
Another frosty night is forecast into Friday. Lows of minus 10C (14F) will again be likely in some areas.
Mild, wet and windy conditions are forecast for the weekend.