A severe weather warning for heavy snow and "very difficult" rush-hour conditions is in place as all regions recorded their lowest temperatures of the winter so far.

The Met Office warning - for south west England and southern Wales - is in force until 9pm.

It means the possibility of a risk to life and property, travel delays, road and rail closures and interruption to power supplies.

Some rural communities could be cut off.

There are likely to be problems on the roads 🛣️ and other transport disruption this afternoon, especially for this evening's #rushhour 🌨️ #snow #uksnow pic.twitter.com/PDvvuXvCXk — Met Office (@metoffice) January 31, 2019

"There are likely to be very difficult conditions on some roads for this evening's #rushhour with #snow and #ice leading to slippery surfaces and falling #snow reducing visibility. Stay #weatheraware #uksnow," tweeted the Met Office.


Cornwall's Newquay Airport closed this afternoon but said it hoped to reopen "within the next 30-45 minutes".

It comes as the temperature in Braemar, Scotland, dipped to -14.4C (6.08F) this morning - the lowest UK temperature since February 2012.

First of the snow blankets Cornwall

Most of the UK is covered by a less severe yellow warning - which means be aware - as it prepares for more snow, ice, fog and strong winds.

England, Wales and Northern Ireland also had their coldest start of winter so far, with the temperature in Redesdale Camp, near Newcastle, dipping to -10.5C (13.1F).

Sennybridge in Wales's Brecon Beacons recorded -9.3C (15.26F), while Katesbridge in Northern Ireland saw a low of -8.2C (17.24F).

Last year's lowest temperature of winter was -14.2°C (6.44F) at Faversham on 28 February.

Image: Redruth bypass in Cornwall. Pic: @MilesCarden30

Image: A jogger running by the River Avon in Bristol

Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said the evening snow would "be an added hazard for central and southern parts of the UK and Ireland. Winds will also be strong across the South West".

Image: Snow in the Longdendale Valley in Derbyshire on Wednesday

The wintry conditions are expected to last well into Friday with warnings of ice and snow likely to bring travel disruption over parts of north and east Scotland and England.

Image: A woman scrapes the frost from her car in Peterborough

Councils have stocked up with more than 1.4 million tonnes of salt, the Local Government Association said.

Thick fog has also affected some parts of the country, such as on the M90 around the Queensferry Crossing in Scotland.

Ice on railways also caused disruption, with Southeastern Trains announcing 21 services were being cancelled or altered.

Image: There was thick fog on the M90 around the Queensferry Crossing on Thursday. Pic: Traffic Scotland

Network Rail Western advised customers to travel before 9pm on Thursday and to check services with their train provider.

Dorset County Council is cancelling transport services, including school buses, on Friday but said it was up to individual schools to decide if the opened.

Some schools across Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland closed for a second day today.

Image: Altrincham in Greater Manchester was blanketed in snow overnight. Pic: James Harwood

Image: A tractor equipped with a plough clearing snow near Buxton, Derbyshire, on Wednesday

On Wednesday, Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport closed their runways for most of the morning as they struggled to shift snow and ice.

Roads in those areas, as well as parts of Devon and Cornwall, were badly hit, with gritters and snow ploughs unable to work quickly enough to clear the snow and ice.

Image: Children play in the snow in Manchester

The temperatures in the UK, however, pale in comparison to the Antarctic-like temperatures forecast for parts of America.

The US Midwest has seen a low of -46C (-50.8F) when wind chill is accounted for.