In Pictures: Floods and heavy snow as winter arrives with a vengeance

A snow plough and gritting lorry clears snow at Ribblehead, in North Yorkshire (Danny Lawson/PA) - (PA Wire)

Heavy snow and freezing rain have hit large parts of the UK, leaving stranded vehicles on the roads and delayed or cancelled rail and air travel.

There is likely to be a week-long spell of wintry conditions, the Met Office has said.

Snow surrounds the Langley Castle Hotel in Langley, Hexham, Northumberland (Owen Humphreys/PA) (PA Wire)

A blanket of snow near Allenheads, in the Pennines in Northumberland (Owen Humphreys/PA) (PA Wire)

A man clears snow near Allenheads (Owen Humphreys/PA) (PA Wire)

A water vole on a branch above floodwater in Yalding, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

Rising floodwater in Yalding, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

Snow is cleared in Catton, Northumberland (Owen Humphreys/PA) (PA Wire)

A man clears snow from a car in Allendale, Northumberland (Owen Humphreys/PA) (PA Wire)

A member of a mountain rescue team after helping to clear cars from a snow drift near Ribblehead, in North Yorkshire (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Wire)

A flooded public footpath in Severn Stoke in Worcestershire (David Davies/PA) (PA Wire)

A man clears snow from the pavement in Woolton, Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire)

Floodwater begins to rise at the Little Venice caravan park in Yalding, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

A vehicle is submerged under water near the River Devon, in Bottesford, Leicestershire (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)