Closing summary
We’re closing this live blog now, thanks for reading. Here’s a summary of this morning’s main developments:
More than 220 schools have been closed across the UK after heavy snowfall overnight and this morning
The Met Office says snow and ice warnings will remain in place in parts of the country into tomorrow
Two major road accidents have been reported in Scotland
Thousands of rail passengers have experienced disruption with networks across the UK reporting delays
Updated
University of Derby closes campuses in Chesterfield, Buxton and Leek
As we’ve been reporting, many schools and colleges are closed today across the midlands and north of England because of snow, with Worcestershire and Derbyshire among the worst affected.
The University of Derby has closed its campuses in Chesterfield, Buxton and Leek because of snow, while Derbyshire county council lists 19 schools and nurseries as closed while some have delayed openings or early closures.
Worcestershire lists 21 school closures, with some having to shut because staff have been unable to reach the school. Two schools in Worcestershire said they were forced to close because of heating or power failures, while others closed because school buses were unable to operate.
More than 220 schools closed across the UK
In addition to the school closures mentioned earlier, one school is closed in Northern Ireland.
That takes the total recorded school closures across the UK to at least 224.
Updated
Thousands of train passengers are suffering disruption due to severe weather.
PA Media reports that by 11am today, some 64 out of a total of 120 services (53%) planned by East Midlands Railway were cancelled or delayed by at least half an hour.
Figures for other operators include London North Eastern Railway (37%), Transport for Wales (13%), West Midlands Trains (13%) and CrossCountry (12%).
11 schools closed in Scotland
So far only 11 schools have fully closed in Scotland, with four in Highland council area, five in Shetland and one in Aberdeenshire.
But some in those counties, the worst affected so far by the cold snap, have opted to open later or to cancel school transport due to icy road conditions.
Parents are being advised to keep updated throughout the day for any changes if schools need to close early.
More than 70 schools closed in the Midlands
The Midlands has also been heavily affected by the snowfall, with school closures, delayed flights and traffic chaos on the roads.
At least 22 schools have shut their doors in Nottinghamshire, and in the West Midlands at more than 50 schools have announced they will be closed today, with dozens more delaying the start of the school day to allow longer for people to travel in.
There are delays of up to 40-60 minutes for departing flights at Birmingham Airport, while East Midlands Airport said its runway remained clear of snow but passengers should expect potential delays.
South Derbyshire District Council said all bin collections today have been cancelled, while all trains between Nottingham and Worksop have been cancelled due to “severe weather”.
BBC weather is reporting the village of Watnall in Nottinghamshire will see as much as 12cm of snow, among the highest levels in the country.
We mentioned earlier that major road accidents have been reported in Scotland. The RAC has this advice for driving in snow and ice:
Drivers should ensure their tyres have plenty of tread and are inflated to the correct pressure to give them the best possible grip on the road.
It’s best to stick to major roads, rather than rural areas where surfaces may not be gritted, reduce speeds and leave plenty of space behind the vehicle in front to ensure you have more time to stop.
Everyone should travel prepared in case they find themselves broken down at the side of the road: a blanket, warm waterproof coat and gloves, sturdy footwear and a charging cable and mobile power bank are all essentials.
140 schools closed in Wales
A significant number of schools have been closed across the UK due to the snow.
This is the latest from Wales:
In Wrexham, 50 schools are closed today. Eight are closed in Denbigshire, 66 in Flintshire and 16 are closed in Powys.
The BBC has posted this video showing the snow, which fell heavily in the north of the UK overnight, moving south:
Winter has arrived early!
— BBC Weather (@bbcweather) November 19, 2024
Northern Scotland, northern England, Wales and the Midlands have awoken to a cover of snow Tuesday morning.
It's moving south and has also fallen in central London.
Here's a look at a recent radar image which shows the wintry mix. pic.twitter.com/W5v5zGJjl3
Scotland hit by two significant road accidents
In Scotland, the cold weather has led to two major road accidents already this morning. My colleague Rachel Keenan has this report:
The A9, the main arterial road for the Highlands, has been closed in both directions in Perthshire after a crash involving three vehicles and a lorry at Ballinluig south of Pitlochry.
Emergency services were called at 8:20am and are still in attendance with an air ambulance called to the scene.
Drivers are being advised to find alternative routes.
Meanwhile in Aberdeenshire, a Stagecoach bus toppled over near New Leeds earlier this morning. There were no injuries reported but police say the road could be affected for 48 hours.
A police spokesperson said:
Around 7.05am on Tuesday, November 19, we were called to a report of a road crash involving a bus that had overturned on the A952 near New Leeds.
There were no reports of injuries to the three people on the bus.
Updated
Share your experience
We’d like to hear from people who have been affected by the winter weather.
What impact, if any, has the snow and ice had on your commute?
As we’ve been reporting, rail networks across the country are experiencing delays.
National Rail has a full list of affected services on their website, which you can view here.
We’ve got a few more images from around the country:
As snow falls across the UK, charity Age UK has said it is worried that the loss of the winter fuel payment had caused many older people to be “extra fearful” about turning on their heating this winter.
Caroline Abrahams, director at the charity, said:
With high energy bills and food prices it is understandable that some may think they have to cut back on food and turn their heating off, but prolonged exposure to cold temperatures can have a serious impact on an older person’s health, especially if they are already trying to manage existing illnesses.
Abrahams added it was “vital” that older people stayed “fit, warm and well if they can” by having hot food and drinks throughout the day, wrapping up warm and sleeping with the windows closed.
Where are there weather warnings in place?
As we mentioned earlier, the Met Office has issued snow and ice warnings for various parts of the country. This is what they say:
For northern Scotland, Orkney and Shetland:
Snow and hail showers will affect northern parts of Scotland at times, becoming heavier and more frequent…through much of Tuesday and then overnight into Wednesday morning. 2 to 5 cm of snow is likely to accumulate quite widely, with up to 10 cm in some places by the end of Tuesday, and perhaps 15 to 20 cm accumulating above 300 metres.
For north Wales, the Midlands and northern England:
The most likely scenario is for most of the snow to accumulate on hills, with 5 to 10 cm possible above 200 metres and perhaps as much as 15 to 20 cm above 300 metres. There is a chance of snow settling at lower levels, where 5 to 10 cm would prove much more disruptive - this remains uncertain, but seems most likely across parts of Derbyshire. As rain, sleet and snow clears from the north of the warning area by early Tuesday morning, ice may form on untreated surfaces.
For Northern Ireland:
Snow is expected on high ground above 200 to 300 metres, where several cm snowfall is likely, and perhaps 5 to 10 cm across the higher parts of the Sperrins and Mournes. Settling snow looks unlikely on low ground. However, as skies clear overnight, temperatures will fall widely below freezing with ice forming on untreated surfaces. This will lead to difficult travelling conditions.
Updated
Meanwhile, charity Asthma + Lung UK urged those living with lung conditions to be “extra careful”.
The charity warned that cold weather can trigger potentially life-threatening asthma attacks or “flare-ups” for people with other lung conditions.
Erika Radford, head of health advice at the organisation, said:
Your risk of ending up in A&E doubles in winter if you have a lung condition. We’re here to help you to stay well, however every day people with lung conditions are needlessly suffering and without urgent action more lives will be put at risk.
Updated
We’ve got more on that weather alert from the UK Health Security Agency.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events at the UKHSA, said:
This is the first amber Cold Weather Health Alert of the season, but we can expect more as we approach winter, and it is vital to check in on vulnerable friends, family and neighbours to ensure they are well prepared for the onset of cold weather.Particularly if they are elderly or otherwise at increased risk.
Here are some of the latest images from across the UK:
The Alzheimer’s Society has warned that cold weather can be “particularly challenging” for people with dementia. “Colder temperatures can be difficult for a person with dementia to adjust to, and they may not always be able to communicate that they are cold - or they may not even recognise it themselves,” the charity said. It advised the public to check in on loved ones, friends and neighbours living with the condition.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, from the UKHSA, said: “This is the first amber Cold Weather Health Alert of the season, but we can expect more as we approach winter, and it is vital to check in on vulnerable friends, family and neighbours to ensure they are well prepared for the onset of cold weather. Particularly if they are elderly or otherwise at increased risk.”
Age UK director Caroline Abrahams said the charity was worried that the loss of the Winter Fuel Payment has caused many older people to be “extra fearful” about turning on their heating this winter.
“With high energy bills and food prices it is understandable that some may think they have to cut back on food and turn their heating off, but prolonged exposure to cold temperatures can have a serious impact on an older person’s health, especially if they are already trying to manage existing illnesses,” she said. “The cold raises blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke and breathing in cold air can also increase the risk, and impact, of serious illnesses like flu and pneumonia.”
Rail cancellations and road delays as snowy conditions create ‘first taste of winter’
Snowy conditions described as “the first taste of winter” have caused train cancellations and road delays in parts of the UK after severe weather warnings were issued.
The Met Office put three yellow warnings for snow and ice in place in the North, the Midlands, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - advising that vehicles could be stranded, power cuts may occur and rural areas could be cut off.
The yellow warning for England has been issued until 11am and the warning for Scotland will remain in place until 10am on Wednesday. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season, warning conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including the elderly.
The amber warning covers the east and north of England, the Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber, with yellow alerts coming into place for the South East, South West and London at 8am on Tuesday, lasting until 6pm on Saturday.
National Rail warned the cold climate would affect various routes on northern train services until at least 2pm on Tuesday. Mersey Rail issued an alert warning passengers that due to the potential of snow and ice covering tracks, the first service on each line in north-west England would run without customers to ensure conditions could be checked.
National Highways also sent out a severe amber weather alert for snow, with the M1 in Leeds and Sheffield, the M56 in Manchester, junction 39 of the M6 and junctions 21-23 of the M62 likely to see disruption.
The Met Office, which described the conditions as “the first taste of winter”, said 5-10cm of snow would prove disruptive in England, with Derbyshire being the area most likely to be affected.
