Multi-car accidents have been caused by a new cold snap gripping the country and at least one major road has been closed.

Derbyshire Police said the A57 Snake Pass has been closed due to snow, while multi-car accidents have also caused congestion on the A53 and A515 near Buxton.

Drivers have been urged to avoid both routes, with heavy snow thought to have contributed to both incidents.

Meanwhile the M25 is gridlocked between junctions 17 and 18 anti-clockwise after an air ambulance attended the scene of a crash.

Part of the M4 between junctions 14 and 15 was also closed by a crash in Wiltshire.


Image: A man runs as snow falls in Kensington Gardens, London

Most areas are likely to see wintry showers with gusty winds making it feel bitterly cold.

As a mini "Beast from the East" hits Britain, the Met Office is warning of snow accumulations of up to 10cm (4in).

Amber warnings for snow and ice are in place from 4pm on Saturday until 9am on Sunday for northwest England, Yorkshire and the Midlands, as well as in London, the South East, and east of England.

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"The best way to describe this is as a real return to wintry conditions," Met Office meteorologist Mark Wilson said.

"The last couple of days have been quite mild across parts of the UK - we got to around 16C (on Thursday) in Wales - but by (Saturday) all of us will be back to very cold weather.

Image: Disruption to travel is expected for much of the country

"Bitterly cold is the best way to describe it - temperatures on the face of it probably just around freezing, but with wind it's going to feel well below freezing."

More than 100 flights scheduled to fly to or from Heathrow Airport on Saturday have already been cancelled.

Most of the affected journeys are on short-haul routes, though some long-haul flights have also been affected including British Airways services to New York and Chicago.

British Airways has cancelled some domestic flights to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester and some services to European destinations.

Image: Grounds staff clear the surrounds of a snow covered pitch at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester

"Due to wintry weather and restrictions at some airports we fly to and from, we have merged a small number of our Heathrow flights to ensure that the vast majority of our customers are able to travel to their destinations as planned today," a statement from the airline said. ​

"We are offering customers due to travel with us this weekend the opportunity to postpone their journey up until Wednesday.

"We're sorry that some of our services will be delayed, as many aircraft will have to receive de-icing treatment before departure to ensure that they are safe to take-off."

Sky News meteorologist Jo Edwards said "the worst wintry weather is yet to arrive", with "converging showers over northern England and the south-east triggering an amber warning for heavy snowfall".

Image: UK weather on Saturday and Sunday. Pic: Met Office

Highways England is warning drivers of treacherous journeys this weekend and says drivers should avoid trans-Pennine roads "if possible".

Temperatures are expected to return to normal for this time of year by Tuesday, but Saturday and Sunday are expected to bring temperatures of freezing, with travel disruption expected.

During the cold snap earlier this month, motorists in two parts of the UK reported getting stuck for 17 or 18 hours as snow and high winds brought treacherous driving conditions.