Extreme weather left drivers stranded and more roads impassable overnight across the UK – with another day of sub-zero temperatures, icy blasts and “blizzard-like” conditions to come.
The Met Office has issued a red alert weather warning for parts of south Wales and the soutwest of England from 3pm today until 2am tomorrow morning.
Storm Emma, rolling in from the Atlantic, is caused further widespread snowfall and bitter temperatures.
As winds picked up overnight, drifting snow caused misery for many motorists – with some parts recording accumulations up to 30cm deep.
In Lincolnshire, police said the A52 had become impassable between Boston and Skegness, and warned that officers would not be able to rescue stuck drivers.
Not even a snowplough was able to get through, the fire service said.
There was also misery for drivers in Scotland – where the highest level of weather warning, a red alert, remains in place until 10am.
Motorists on the M80 near Glasgow reported being stuck for up to 13 hours, with some spending the night in their cars, and others abandoning their vehicles on the motorway.
Temperatures plunged to a widespread low of between -6C and -4C overnight, and forecasters have warned it could feel as chilly as -11C during the day as the winds continue to strengthen.
Gusts of up to 95km/h could also bring “blizzard-like conditions”.
As well as the red alert – which has never before been issued for Scotland, England or Northern Ireland – amber warnings have also been issued for the north-east of England and the central belt of Scotland, in place between 10am and 8pm, and for south west England and south Wales from 12pm until 8am tomorrow.
On top of these, yellow snow warnings have been issued for vast swathes of southern, central, and northern England, Northern Ireland and Wales – in place for most of today.
Several airports reported disruption due to the weather, with Gatwick Airport expecting “a large number of cancellations and delays to flights”.
Glasgow Airport said there would be no flights until 11am, while Edinburgh Airport tweeted to say most airlines had cancelled flights from there until lunchtime.
The extreme weather shows no sign of letting up, with fears snow in the south west could turn into freezing rain tomorrow – making conditions “even more treacherous”.
