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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Nicola Slawson, Nadia Khomami, Matthew Weaver and Claire Phipps

Girl dies in 'weather-related' crash as snow chaos continues to grip UK – as it happened

This live blog is closed. Live coverage of Friday’s UK weather continues here:

Evening summary

Here’s a roundup of the night’s events:

  • A seven-year-old girl has died in a collision in Looe, Cornwall. Police confirmed the death was “weather related”.
  • The man who died after being pulled from the water at Danson Park in south east London on Wednesday, was named as Stephen Cavanagh.
  • A mother gave birth to a healthy baby girl on the side of the road in County Durham after failing to get to hospital in terrible driving conditions.
  • Two teenagers suffered serious injuries after they were trapped under a fallen conifer tree in Manchester.
  • Thousands of vehicles are currently stranded on roads in Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Cambria and Scotland.
  • Soldiers have been deployed to transport NHS staff in Scotland.
  • Hundreds of homes across the UK are without power tonight as engineers struggle to reach areas in severe snow.
  • Flood warnings have been issued for parts of Cornwall’s south coast on Friday morning.
  • Police have declared a major incident across Avon and Somerset following severe weather across the region.

Read the full story here:

Major incident declared by Avon and Somerset police

Police have declared a major incident across Avon and Somerset following severe weather across the region.

Chief superintendent Ian Wylie urged people to cancel their travel plans on Friday morning and stay off the roads unless absolutely essential.

He said a “rescue operation” was currently underway to help people stranded in their vehicles across Somerset, including about 100 vehicles stuck in snow on the A303 at Ilminster.

Wylie added:

This operation is being supported by a number of volunteers and voluntary agencies, including Avon and Somerset search and rescue, Exmoor search and rescue, Burnham area rescue boat (which has 4x4 vehicles) and Wessex 4x4 Response, along with other emergency services and Her Majesty’s coastguard.

If you are stranded, please stay in your vehicle, call for assistance and wait for help to arrive. Don’t abandon your vehicle as it can hamper the efforts of emergency services.

Flood warnings have been issued in Cornwall

Flood warnings have been issued for parts of Cornwall’s south coast on Friday morning.

The Environment Agency has issued two flood warnings, which mean flooding is expected and immediate action should be taken, and two flood alerts, which means flooding is possible and people should be prepared.

The warning says:

Expect tides to be around 400mm higher than predicted due to weather conditions. Large waves and spray are likely so take care near coastal paths and promenades.

This may cause localised standing water. Do not drive through flood water or waves. The current cold weather conditions are also likely to increase hazardous conditions along the coast.

Residents have been warned to be prepared in Falmouth, Flushing, Penryn, Tresillian and Newlyn in particular.

Updated

Drivers in both Cumbria and Scotland have been urged to stay home as emergency services continue to battle to clear roads where vehicles are stranded.

Superintendent Mark Pannone of Cumbria Constabulary, said:

This is not the normal snowfall Cumbria sees most years, it is making condition treacherous and I ask you not to drive unless your health, or the health of someone else, would suffer if you didn’t.

We rarely say don’t drive and we hope that on this occasion people will take heed. The North and East of the county are currently worst hit, but the next 24 hours will be bad across the County.

In a video message Scottish minister for Transport Humza Yousaf said:

Avoid travel. Do not travel unless it is absolutely essential ... If you do travel not only will you have the potential of being disrupted of course but even possibly stranded.

Scottish government minister for Transport Humza Yousaf urging people not to heed travel advice.

Updated

Avon and Somerset Police said it was dealing with up to 100 cars stranded in snow on the A303 at Ilminster and a further 20 on the A358 at Thornfalcon.

It urged people not to travel unless they “absolutely have to”.

Hampshire Police said it had called for the military to help as it dealt with a “build-up of traffic” and stranded motorists on the A31.

It is urging people to stay in their vehicles and that supplies and assistance is on its way.

Updated

Hundreds of homes across the UK are without power

Hundreds of homes across the UK have been left without power tonight.

There are blackouts across the north east of England which is affecting hundreds of properties. Northern Powergrid, which serves the area, said they were working round the clock to restore power where there has been an outage.

Rod Gardner, head of network operations at Northern Powergrid, said:

We have seen increased wind speeds combined with continued snow fall and freezing temperatures today which has made travel and site access conditions incredibly difficult in many locations. We will be closely monitoring the weather over night, tomorrow and into the weekend.

We’d like to reassure our customers that we remain prepared and resourced to respond to any damage to our network, where it is accessible and safe to do so and, through our well-established resilience plans, we continue to be in regular contact with partners such as the local authorities and emergency services.

Western Power Distribution, which serves the Midlands, south west England and Wales, currently has about around 1,300 customers without power caused by “weather-related and normal fault activity”.

In a statement, the power company said:

Over the last 24 hours we have made 3,221 pro-active telephone calls, 1,001 of those to vulnerable customers to offer support and restoration updates. Customers are also following our progress online and our power-cut information map has had 73,500 hits since yesterday.

We continue to monitor for any prolonged outages and we are contacting those customers offering British Red Cross support.

In Scotland, SP Energy Networks said the system was “holding up well despite the weather” however there have been blackouts in central Scotland as well.

Updated

Hundreds of schools across the UK will remain closed until next week and one school had a unique way of sharing the news.

Soldiers have been deployed to transport NHS staff in Scotland

In Scotland soldiers were deployed on Thursday night to help transport about 200 NHS clinical and support staff needed to deliver critical care services in Edinburgh to and from Edinburgh royal infirmary and Western general hospital.

They said in a statement: “This will enable staff to change over their shifts while the amber weather warning remains for most of Scotland until 10am tomorrow.”

Health secretary Shona Robison said that the Scottish government was acting on a specific request from NHS Lothian.

My priority is the safety of staff and patients and the measures we have put in place will ensure these are protected during challenging circumstances.

Many areas of Scotland continue to see very difficult and dangerous conditions – that is why the amber warning will remain in place overnight and tomorrow morning.

She went to urge the public to avoid travel if at all possible as the weather remained “potentially life-threatening”.

Updated

100 vehicles are stranded in Dorset

Around 100 vehicles are stuck on a road in Dorset, as heavy snow blankets the south coast of England.

The vehicles are stranded on the A35 Puddletown bypass, which has been closed both ways between Bere Regis and the Stinsford roundabout at Dorchester.

Chief Inspector Alan Setchell, of Dorset Police, said:

We want to get a message to all those involved to reassure them that we are fully aware of the situation and the emergency services and partner agencies are making every effort to assist everyone as quick as they can.

I would make a special plea to anyone who has a particular urgent medical need or requires immediate assistance to contact us on 101 and give us your precise location so we can assist you as a priority.

People are urged to stay in their vehicles and we will get to you as soon as possible.

We have a number of major routes and other roads affected by the severe weather around the county and I would urge members of the public to avoid travelling if it is at all possible.

Updated

These pictures, shared by Network Rail Scotland, show the kinds of dangerous conditions rail staff are facing as they try to protect the rail infrastructure from the severe weather.

No-one’s benefits will be docked if they are unable to reach their local jobcentre due to the weather, the department for work and pensions has confirmed.

Updated

The Met Office has updated its weather warnings including extending its amber warning for snow in Scotland until Friday morning.

What warnings are in place?

  • The south west of England and Wales has a red warning for wind and snow until 2am on Friday.
  • The Midlands, Wales, parts of London and the south east and south west of England have been given a amber warning for wind and snow, which lasts until Friday at 8am.
  • Parts of Northern Ireland and large parts of Scotland have an amber alert for snow until 10am on Friday.
  • The south of England, the Midlands and Northern Ireland have been issued a yellow warning for ice for the whole of the Midlands, south of England and Northern Ireland from midnight on Saturday until 9am.
  • Northern England and other parts of Scotland have a yellow warning on Friday.
  • The north east of Scotland has a yellow warning for snow and ice for Sunday night and all day Monday.

Further details of on the Met Office website.

What do the colours mean?

  • Yellow: Severe weather is possible over the next few days and could affect you. Pay close attention to the weather forecast.
  • Amber: There is an increased likelihood of bad weather which could cause travel disruption and even a potential risk to life.
  • Red: Extreme weather is expected and action should be taken to keep safe from the impact of the severe weather. Widespread damage, travel and power disruption and risk to life is likely.

Updated

Two male teenagers have been taken to hospital after they were trapped under a fallen conifer tree in Manchester.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said two fire engines and a rescue unit were called to the scene in Erskine Road, Blackley shortly after 2.10pm.

Firefighters used a chainsaw and cutting gear to release the pair who suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries.

The RAC said it had attended 8,000 breakdowns across the UK as of 5pm – with the West Midlands the busiest region.

A spokesman said:

Conditions continue to be very challenging for drivers with an ongoing risk of disruptive snow and then ice from tomorrow.

Our patrols are doing everything they can to reach stricken motorists.

Drivers should think about whether their journey is really necessary and keep tuned to forecasts and updates from Highways England and its equivalents in Wales and Scotland.

Cornish police confirm seven-year-old girl died in "weather related" collision

Police have confirmed that the road collision which caused the death of a seven-year-old girl in Cornwall was “weather related”.

Devon and Cornwall Police were called to Bodrigan Road in Looe, Cornwall, at about 2.30pm on Thursday after a car left the road and hit a house, leaving the girl with life-threatening injuries.

A force spokesman said the girl, believed to be a pedestrian, was declared dead at the scene.

There was snowfall in Looe throughout Thursday and police said the incident is believed to be weather related.

Chief Inspector Adrian Leisk, head of roads policing across Devon, Cornwall and Dorset, said the child’s death was “truly devastating” in a tweet.

A force spokesman said the girl’s next of kin had been informed of her death. No arrests have been made and no-one else was injured in the incident.

“Localised closures are in place as emergency services attend this incident,” he added. Drivers have been warned not to travel across the force area, with a number of roads closed or impassable.

Neighbours said the road where the accident happened is very steep and had become “a total ice rink” since the snow hit.

Rebecca Butters, who lives on the road, told Cornwall Live:

It is a very close knit community and there are a lot of young children who have been out enjoying the snow.

I have seen lots of children up here all afternoon in the snow. The road is pretty bad. No-one can get out their paths and everything is at a standstill.

It is terrible to hear what has happened. My thoughts are with the family of the poor little girl.

Updated

As dusk settles across Glasgow and gusts of wind whip up the powdery snow that is starting to fall again, the city seems to have relaxed into a slower, more local, rhythm, with few cars out and pedestrians reclaiming the roads in some instances because they are easier to walk along than the pavements where the snow is still deep.

Winter weather March 1st 2018People walk along the roadway of Great Western Road, Glasgow, as blizzards are hitting parts of the UK, as freezing conditions and heavy snow continue to wreak disruption. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 1, 2018. A red weather warning - the second in 24 hours - has been issued for south-west England and south Wales as Storm Emma moves in, meaning the conditions could pose a risk to life. The weather front comes as the UK reels from the effects of the Beast from the East and just hours after a red alert for Scotland ended at 10am. See PA story WEATHER Snow. Photo credit should read: Kirk O’Rourke/PA Wire
People walk along the roadway of Great Western Road, Glasgow. Photograph: Kirk O'Rourke/PA

Snowmen are everywhere, and conversations with strangers are the order of the day, particularly when that stranger is carrying a precious loaf of bread or pint of milk. Supermarket shelves are empty of fresh produce in many areas, with word of mouth letting locals know when one store has an unexpected emergency delivery.

Weather warnings, Scotland,epa06572990 Schools are closed and a people on sleds enjoys having fun in the snow in Queens Park, Glasgow, Scotland, 01 March 2018. People have been warned not to make unnecessary journeys as the British official weather service, the Met Office, has issued a red weather be aware warning for parts of Wales and South West England following the one currently in place in Scotland. Media reports state that extreme cold weather is forecast to hit many parts of Europe with temperatures plummeting to a possible ten year low. EPA/ROBERT PERRY
Snow day in Queens Park, Glasgow. Photograph: Robert Perry/EPA

Although the red warning for the central belt has passed, the amber alert remains in place and most schools remains closed tomorrow, as are other institutions, including the courts. The Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service have confirmed that there will be no trials going ahead tomorrow because of the continuing severe weather.

A baby made a dramatic entrance to the world when she was delivered by her father on the side of the A66 near Darlington.

Baby Sienna with her parents Daniella and Andrew Waring and staff at the Darlington Memorial Hospital.
Baby Sienna with her parents Daniella and Andrew Waring and staff at the Darlington Memorial Hospital. Photograph: Darlington Memorial Hospital

Andrew Waring was driving his wife Daniella to the hospital but was hampered by heavy snow and poor driving conditions.

After realising they would not make it to the hospital in time, Andrew pulled over and “knelt in the snow” to safely delivered his daughter, who was named Sienna.

He said:

The weather was very bad and I struggled to find somewhere to pull over and barely had time to ring 999 when the baby started coming.

Having been present at the birth of our two other children I just copied what I had seen then. I opened the passenger door and knelt in the snow to deliver the baby.

Great North Air Ambulance crew Lee Salmon and Philip O’Donnell were first on scene, quickly backed up by the North East Ambulance service crew.

Initially the air ambulance crew struggled to find the family and had to drive up and down the snow covered road until locating them.

Phillip said:

The baby had arrived shortly before we arrived so the hard work had been done, but we were able to check baby and mum over before the ambulance crew arrived and took her on to hospital.

It was a lovely job to be involved in and we’d like to congratulate them on the new arrival.

Mum and baby were taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital maternity unit, where baby Sienna, who weighed in at 10lbs 1oz, and Daniella are being monitored and kept warm.

Heavy snowfall and blizzards have lashed Europe as a deep freeze has set in, from the Baltic to the beaches of the Mediterranean.

Landmarks including St Mark’s Square in Venice and Nice’s Promenade des Anglais have been covered by an unusual dusting of snow, while Ireland and Britain have been encountering Storm Emma.

Check out this photo essay for more pictures from the continent.

This is an interesting Twitter thread addressing complaints about how the UK deals with bad weather compared to a country like Canada. Click on the tweet to read the rest of the conversation.

Met Police names man who died as Stephen Cavanagh

The Metropolitan Police named the man who died after being pulled from the water at Danson Park, near Welling, south east London on Wednesday, as Stephen Cavanagh.

A statement said: “In respect of the death of a man following an incident in Danson Park, Bexley on Wednesday, 28 February, the deceased has been formally identified as Stephen Cavanagh, 60, who lived locally.

“The family of Mr Cavanagh have requested that they are not contacted by the media at this difficult time. We ask the media to please respect their wishes.”

Seven-year-old girl dies in collision in Cornwall

A seven-year-old girl has died in a collision in Looe, Cornwall.

Devon and Cornwall police said: “Police were called at around 2.30pm today to reports of a Nissan car colliding with a house on Bodrigan Road.

“A seven-year-old girl, believed to be a pedestrian, suffered life-threatening injuries and was declared deceased at the scene.

“Her next of kin has been informed.Localised closures area in place as emergency services attend this incident.”

Another nice example of the snow inspiring good.

Guesthouse Ally’s Retreat in Newquay, Cornwall, has offered a bed to anyone homeless person who needs it.

This from the guesthouse’s Facebook page:

“ANY HOMELESS IN NEWQUAY TONIGHT WELCOME TO MY HOUSE FOR A BED..
PLEASE PASS IT ON TO ANYONE YOU KNOW OR SEE TODAY IN TOWN.”

M80 'almost clear' after drivers stranded overnight

Motorists remain stranded one one of Scotland’s main roads but Humza Yousaf, the Transport Minister, has said the road is “almost clear”.

Jack-knifed lorries and extreme weather combined to block the M80 which connects Glasgow and Stirling, leaving hundreds of drivers stranded.

Motorists reported being stuck for more than 17 hours with some spending the night in their cars and others abandoning their vehicles on the motorway.

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said shortly after 3pm on Thursday that the northbound lane was clear and operations were ongoing to remove around 10 vehicles stuck southbound.

John Gent from Plymouth told the BBC he has been stuck on the M80 at Stirling since 8pm on Wednesday. “Fortunately the people on the neighbouring estates have been bringing over bottles of water,” he said.

“There’s a motorway bridge about 400 metres away from me and they’ve set up a little area there where they’re making teas and coffees for people.”

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said they bought hundreds of pounds worth of food and water from supermarkets to distribute to stranded drivers on the M80, along with blankets.

Updated

The Met Office red warning is now in force.

Updated

Team GB’s Billy Morgan took to the streets of Essex after the Beast from the East coated them in snow. The Olympian had not long returned from a successful trip to Pyeongchang, bringing home a bronze medal from the Games. Morgan performed tricks, spins and grinds as the cold weather continued to cover Britain and beyond.

Right now police in Devon, Dorset, Cornwall are dealing with 19 weather-related collisions, according to Ch Insp Adrian Leisk, head of roads policing.

“More coming in by the minute,” he said. “We have a limited number of 4x4s to deal. Please do not venture outside unless absolutely essential. The road conditions are going to get much worse.”

NHS staff have been commended for going the extra mile to ensure they can treat patients, with some sleeping at hospitals overnight. The BBC reported that one cancer surgeon walked for two hours and 50 minutes to operate on a patient.

NHS Million called for people to recognise the efforts made by staff who worked double and triple shifts, slept in hospitals overnight and walked for hours to get to work.

Passengers are planning to stay a second night in Glasgow Airport, which closed on Wednesday due to heavy snow.

The airport described it as an unprecedented weather situation and many staff worked overnight to help with the situation.

Marjory Russell, who was trying to get to Los Angeles with her sister-in-law, was going to “tough it out” in the terminal for a second night.

“We arrived here yesterday morning at 5am, we were on the plane and we had to come back off it and were told that the flight was cancelled,” she said.

“Some hotels are trying to charge hundreds of pounds so we’re just going to tough it out in the airport, what else can you do?”

Robin Wright, from Midlothian, described the situation as a “total nightmare” after spending a second day at the airport with her husband and two young children after their flight to Dubai was cancelled. “We’re just in limbo,” she said.

The snow selfies are coming in thick and fast on Twitter.

People are being forced to try to get to work despite the severe weather and official advice to avoid travelling, the Press Association reports.

The Scottish Trades Union Congress said it has been inundated with complaints from workers. Dave Moxham, the STUC’s deputy general secretary, said:

We have been shocked by the cold-hearted way in which many employers around the country have treated their workers over the past few days.

It is not often that we see this level of risk to life due to weather. It has become clear to us that many employers have chosen to put their profits over the safety of their workforce.

There is no excuse for not paying heed to weather warnings. Requiring staff to get to work in adverse conditions is exploitation

The TUC also called on employers not to force staff to make dangerous journeys to work.

The Hindhead Tunnel has been closed northbound due to an overturned vehicle.

Hungry but can’t get to a restaurant? Here’s an idea:

Pictures from supermarkets around the country show rows of empty shelves as people panic buy groceries. Bread, milk and soup has been bought in large quantities by residents of Burnham-On-sea and Highbridge. And here’s a supermarket in East Dunbartonshire, where many local shops have run out of bread.

East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK. 28th Feb, 2018. Local shops run out of bread in East Dunbartonshire.
East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK. 28th Feb, 2018. Local shops run out of bread in East Dunbartonshire. Photograph: Credit: ALAN OLIVER / StockimoNews / Alamy Live News/Alamy Live News.

Updated

Here’s the scene at Haldon Hill, near Exeter. Search and rescue team at the ready. Scores of motorists were stuck here in 2010. Sgt Olly Tayler is a police motorcyclist and lead investigator for fatal road accidents. Today he’s “snow commander” at Haldon Hill, according to Devon and Cornwall police.

There were 20 collisions on a small section of the A19 in the space of an hour, Durham Police have said.

An 11-vehicle collision closed the southbound carriageway at Castle Eden, with a separate crash shutting it northbound north of Easington. It was not thought anyone was seriously injured.

Durham Police urged drivers not to underestimate the severity of the driving conditions.

Updated

Police Scotland superintendent Helen Harrison, who is co-ordinating the multi-agency response, said they were continuing to deal with a number of challenging incidents across the country. “Our advice has not changed - avoid travel in the affected areas and keep a close eye on the Met Office updates and from the authorities across Scotland,” she said.

Tired of slipping about in icy conditions, skiing fans are taking advantage of freshly coated slopes in the UK.

What we know so far

A 75-year-old woman has been found dead in a snow-covered street in Leeds, PA reports.

Officers said the woman’s body was found partially under a car in Well Street, Farsley, after police were called at 6.11am on Thursday.

Detective Inspector James Entwistle, said: “We are currently carrying out inquiries into the circumstances, but at this stage there is nothing to suggest her death is suspicious.
“We have established the woman’s identity and are in contact with her family.

“We would like to hear from anyone who saw her in the area at any time prior to her being found this morning. She may have appeared confused.”

The cabinet secretary for health and social services in Wales, Vaughan Gething, has urged people to stay safe - and to use health services only when really needed.

He said: “It is likely that there will be some disruption to local services across Wales. People can help to make a difference by using our health services sensibly. Only call 999 and attend A&E for serious illness or a genuine emergency.”

He urged people to:

  • Only undertake essential travel.
  • If you are going out wrap up warm and make sure you are wearing footwear with a good grip.
  • Check on elderly and vulnerable friends, neighbours and relatives.
  • Check your local health board’s website / Twitter/ Facebook for updates.
  • Only call 999 and attend A&E in a genuine emergency.

Rail services to and from Cardiff will be suspended at around 5pm.

Updated

The AA is estimating there have been 8,260 collisions on Britain’s roads from the snow chaos in just three days, with the insurance cost already above £10m.

“On Wednesday, the number of insurance claims was more than a third higher than on a normal February Wednesday while two thirds of claims were related to mishaps in the snow and ice,” it said.

The most common claim in recent days has been for cars hitting an inanimate object, such as kerbs, bollards and barriers, as they slither out of control. The AA said one driver went through his neighbour’s front door when attempting to turn into his drive.

Meanwhile, it’s estimated that freezing temperatures are adding an extra £3.8m a day to gas bills across the UK, with the typical household turning up the thermostat by 2c and leaving the heating on for much longer, according to energyhelpline.com.

Ireland’s capital is about to go into total shutdown with no public transport, all schools closed, shops, bars and restaurants shuttered and people advised to stay indoors as the country was braced for 40cm of snow to be dumped by Friday lunchtime.

All flights to and from Dublin are cancelled from 3pm, and the airport is expected to be closed until Saturday morning. Travellers complained on social media that hotels were hiking rates as people scrambled for accommodation.

Storm Emma is moving up from the south to meet the Beast from the East to produce what is forecast to be the worst weather conditions in Ireland for 36 years. As well as blizzards sweeping across the country, bitter winds of up to 100kmph made the temperature feel like -10C.

Sports fixtures and hospital operations were cancelled, and the army was on standby to deal with emergencies.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warned the “risk to life and limb should not be underestimated”.

He added: “It is not safe to be outside in such conditions. No one should be on the roads and we are asking everyone ... to remain indoors until the severe weather has passed.”

A man walks through the empty streets in the centre of Dublin
A man walks through the empty streets in the centre of Dublin Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

The Met Office has a useful explanation on freezing rain, part of the extreme whether that is forecast for the west country and south Wales in the coming hours.

Explaining what “major incident” meant, a Devon and Cornwall police spokesman said:

“As with any incident on this nature there is a need to co-ordinate resources among the respective agencies involved.

“While the term ‘major incident’ is used internally, this is simply to ensure these resources are properly managed and that an appropriate command structure among all agencies is in place.

“We regularly prepare for instances like this, so there is tried and tested plans to enact during weather like we are seeing today.

“The Met Office has issued a red weather warning in Devon today from 3pm. Multi-agencies are working hard to keep main roads clear, we ask that our public avoid travel and take the appropriate precautions to stay safe during Storm Emma.”

Snow drifts in fields surrounding the village of Zennor near St Ives
Snow drifts in fields surrounding the village of Zennor near St Ives Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Devon and Cornwall Police declare major incident

Devon and Cornwall Police have declared a major incident as a red warning blizzards is due to come into force in parts of Devon and Somerset.

Cornwall’s multi-agency silver control emergency centre has been opened at county hall in Truro to provide a co-ordinated response to deal with any issues created by the deteriorating weather situation.

Chaired by Ch Supt Jim Pearce from Devon and Cornwall police, with support from the council’s senior duty director Trevor Doughty, the centre brings together representatives of a wide range of agencies. They including emergency management, Cornwall fire and rescue service, Cormac [which provides highways services to Cornwall], Highways England, social care, health partners, Environment Agency,and major utility companies.

The main A380 in Devon will be closed at 3pm.

Updated

Some drivers claim they have been stuck on the M80 in Scotland for almost 24 hours.

First minister Nicola Sturgeon said too many lorries were on road despite warnings to avoid all but essential travel.

Speaking at first ministers questions, she said traffic cameras showed that “there were far more HGVs on that road than there should have been when a red warning was in place”.

She added: “I saw some branded HGVs in pictures yesterday and given the branding on them I would struggle to say that their transport was unavoidable.

“So that is a message I think should go out very strongly from this chamber to companies who use HGVs during weather conditions like this.”

John Gent spoke to BBC News while still stranded on the M80 after 15 hours. He said:

“Fortunately the people on the neighbouring estates have been bringing over bottles of water.

“There’s a motorway bridge about 400 metres away from me and they’ve set up a little area there where they’re making teas and coffees for people.

“They were knocking on windows and asking if everyone was all right and handing out blankets and teas and coffees and stuff.

“It’s nice to know they’re thinking of us stuck here when they’re in their warm homes.”

Updated

Specialist drivers from the military have been transporting doctors to hospitals and stranded patients in Lincolnshire, according to the RAF.

Wing commander Jim Errington, RAF regional liaison officer for the East Midlands, gave details of how the military has responded after Lincolnshire police admitted they were struggling to cope with the snow (see earlier).

Speaking to BBC News, Errington said:

We have been working in the county emergency centre in Lincoln over the last 24 hours. We have drafted in 10 specially trained drivers from a mechanical transport squadron at RAF Wittering.

What we are trying to do is transport essential medical and emergency personel from their home residences to where they are required across the county.

They included driving surgeons to hospitals, he said.

Errington added:

Some of the drivers have come back reporting very very difficult driving conditions and drifting snow, making road conditions very very hazardous.

It does take an exceptional event for the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Air Force to be called out on such tasks, but we do routinely train and work with our civilian counterparts.

A woman pulls shopping on a sledge near Lincoln
A woman pulls shopping on a sledge near Lincoln Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters

There are still significant problems on the rail links to Scotland.

Virgin Trains urged passengers not travel today or tomorrow because of the extreme weather.

In a statement it added: “We’re working hard to look after our customers in whatever way we can and customers who have booked to travel will be able to use their tickets next week.

“On our west coast route, we have resumed services to and from Scotland today though trains to and from Edinburgh remain cancelled.

“Customers travelling across both our east coast and west coast routes are advised to check our websites for the most up to date information before going to the station.”

London’s Paddington station has partially reopened with a reduced services. It closed for several hours after snow blew inside the station.

Workers clear a platform at Paddington station in west London as trains were cancelled
Workers clear a platform at Paddington station in west London after trains were cancelled Photograph: Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was briefed on the emergency planning and weather forecasts in Dublin and issued a direct plea, PA reports.

“The risk to life and limb presented by severe weather conditions should not be underestimated by anyone,” he said.

The forecast is for blizzards, 100km/h winds, zero visibility, deep pockets of snow and “white-outs”, the Taoiseach said.

“It’s not safe to be outside in such conditions. No-one should be on the roads,” he said.

“We are asking everyone to be at home and safe by 4pm today and to remain indoors until the severe weather has passed. I’ll repeat nobody should be on the roads after 4pm today and everyone should be in home or indoors by 4pm.”

Temperatures fell to -7C last night.

Updated

When red extreme weather warnings are issued the public are urged to follow the advice of the authorities. Police in the west country are urging people to stay at home.

Meanwhile, special constables in and around Truro have begun a paper round.

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled at airports across Europe. The website Flightradar24 has the details:

  • Dublin: 194
  • Heathrow: 157
  • Edinburgh: 129
  • Glasgow: 105
  • Geneva: 96
  • Gatwick: 77
  • Amsterdam: 69
  • London City: 67
  • Bristol: 48
  • Charles de Gaulle (Paris): 41

A 46-year-old van driver has died after a collision involving a lorry and a van on the A34 southbound this morning, Hampshire Police said.

The man, from Southampton, was pronounced dead at the scene near Tot Hill services, while his front seat passenger suffered “life-changing” injuries. The lorry driver was uninjured.

A second collision on the northbound side of the road involving two lorries and a car left one driver with “serious life-changing injuries”, the force said.

The road is likely to remain closed until Thursday evening due to “extensive damage to the barriers and their location”, it added.

Unison general secretary, Dave Prentis, has paid tribute to the public sectors struggling in the snow to serve the public.

They include Kas from London Ambulance Service’s cycle team ....

... special Constable Waters on the A1 in Northumberland ...

And the firefigthers from Killingbeck Red Watch in West Yorkshire.

Updated

Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon began this lunchtime’s session of first minister’s questions with a statement on the extreme weather.

She urged the public to “please heed the weather and travel warnings that are made for your safety”, and also asked employers to continue to be flexible with working arrangements and put the safety of staff first.

Sturgeon went on: “I would also encourage everyone who can do so to check on elderly neighbours and keep an eye out for anyone who is vulnerable”.

She concluded by “thanking sincerely all those working hard to keep people safe”. Sturgeon said that extreme weather conditions make a level of disruption and inconvenience inevitable, but the priority would always be public safety.

Earlier, after much deliberation, the Scottish Conservatives cancelled their planned spring conference in Aberdeen after the amber weather warning for much of the country was extended into Friday.

The conference agenda had already been postponed until later on Friday afternoon to allow delegates from the central belt to travel safely, but the party leader Ruth Davidson said that she had “reluctantly” cancelled the conference because “delegates’ safety comes first”.

The cancelation will be a disappointment for supporters, as the conference was intended to showcase the party’s new and developing policy platform and mark the next chapter in the party’s remarkable reversal of fortunes over the past few years.

As Davidson herself set out in an interview in Holyrood magazine earlier this week: “This conference is going to be really important for us because it’s the first time in 30 years, maybe, that you’ve got a group of Scottish Conservatives getting together and saying, how do we form the next government of Scotland?”

Meanwhile, Edinburgh zoo may be closed but you can watch the penguins in the snow on the zoo’s penguin cam.

That Conservative Party conference in Scotland, at which Theresa May was due to speak, has been cancelled because of the snow (see earlier).

Snowdonia National Park Authority is advising people to stay away from its famous mountain tops where the temperature feels like -30C.

The Irish stock market is due to close at noon today and will closed all day tomorrow after Met Eireann issued a red warning for all counties until 3pm on Friday.

The Welsh National Assembly’s main public building, the Senedd is closing at noon and three important committees have been cancelled after that red alert for blizzards was issued by the Met Office.

A St David’s Day gig planned for this evening has also been called off. All buildings on the Cardiff estate will be closed tomorrow.

The Newport half marathon, which was due to take place on Sunday, has also already been cancelled.

Boris Johnson, some postmen, and Glastonbury festival founder Michael Eavis have all been venturing out in the snow in their shorts.

A Postman battles on in shorts after heavy overnight snow in East Tilbury Village, Essex
A Postman battles on in shorts after heavy overnight snow in East Tilbury Village, Essex Photograph: Martin Dalton/REX/Shutterstock

Labour has urged the government to provide the NHS with extra support to cope with the snow and extreme weather.

The NHS released a winter situation report showing 95.2% of hospital beds were full last week and 12,310 patients were stuck in the back of ambulances for more than half an hour.

Responding to the figures, Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, said:

“Theresa May’s NHS winter crisis is stretching into March and hospitals remain full to bursting. Last week was the busiest yet in our hospitals, even before the most extreme weather kicked in.

“With the snow that has hit Britain this week, the brilliant staff of the NHS are working round the clock to keep services running for their patients. The Government must give the NHS all the extra support it needs to cope with the snow and extreme weather.”

An ambulance drives through the snow in Tunbridge Wells, Kent
An ambulance drives through the snow in Tunbridge Wells, Kent Photograph: Philip Toscano/PA

Frst minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has urged the public to stay off the roads even though the red alert for the central Scotland expired at 10am.

She pointed out that a less severe be prepared amber warning has been extended to 10am on Friday.

Meanwhile Network Rail Scotland tweeted images of tracks under heavy snow to explain why several key rail services remain suspended.

The AA has already had more than 150 cases of drivers stuck in snow. East Anglia, the East Midlands and the North East were the worst hit areas, it said.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “Conditions on many roads are atrocious. Many roads are like ice rinks. On untreated rural roads in many parts we wouldn’t advise driving unless your vehicle is a 4x4 equipped with serious winter tyres.

“With hundreds of roads closed and thousands of drivers stranded overnight in Scotland and Lincolnshire again we reiterate our advice that if you need to venture out please be prepared. It is advisable to have plenty of fuel in case you get stranded and need to keep the engine running to keep warm.”

Abandoned vehicles parked by the roadside after accidents in drifting snow on Wednesday in Consett, County Durham
Abandoned vehicles parked by the roadside after accidents in drifting snow on Wednesday in Consett, County Durham Photograph: Ian Horrocks/Getty Images

The vast majority of Scottish parliament business has been cancelled today, after the severe weather led to almost complete suspension of rail and bus services to and within Edinburgh.

And the start of the Scottish Conservatives annual conference in Aberdeen tomorrow, , has been pushed back to 2pm on Friday, with a series of speeches and fringe events cancelled. Theresa May is still due to address the conference on Saturday.

The only events taking place at Holyrood will be general questions at 11.40am, first minister’s questions at noon, the centre piece of the week, and a ministerial statement on the Scottish government plans for an emergency bill on repatriating EU powers. The sitting will be suspended for the day at 1.45pm, more than three hours earlier than normal.

Ministerial statements on climate change strategy, debate of amendments to a land use and forestry bill, and nearly all committee business have been cancelled.

Clara McEwan and Sasha Bey, both aged 17 and from Edinburgh, sledge down Calton Hill overlooking the city
Clara McEwan and Sasha Bey, both aged 17 and from Edinburgh, sledge down Calton Hill overlooking the city Photograph: Jane Barlow/PA

Ambulance crews helped a woman give birth to a baby girl beside the snow-hit A66 near Darlington on Thursday morning.

Great North Air Ambulance whose crew helped with the birth tweeted their congratulations.

Heavy snow forced the closure of the A66 in both directions on Wednesday night, amid reports that lorries and gritter were among stranded vehicles on the route.

North East Ambulance could not confirm whether the vehicle the pregnant woman had been travelling in was stranded in the snow.

A spokeswoman said: “We were called to reports of a woman in labour on the A66 in the Elton area at 9:10am. We dispatched a double crewed ambulance and have transported mum and baby to Darlington Memorial.”

Updated

What we know so far

Updated

The Environment Agency is worried about flooding in Dorset, Devon and Somerset because of a combination of strong winds and high tides.

A flood warning – meaning flooding is expected and immediate action is required – covers Swanage in Dorset, where temporary flood defences have been deployed.

Flood alerts (flooding is possible) are in place for the south Devon coast from Start Point to Dawlish Warren, the Severn Estuary at Severn Beach and the Somerset Coast at Porlock Weir.

Rough sleepers in the snow in London
Rough sleepers in the snow in London Photograph: Jack Dredd/REX/Shutterstock

Dozens of outreach workers have stepped up efforts to help bring vulnerable rough sleepers in from the cold as London experiences its longest period of freezing weather for seven years, PA reports.

Around 500 extra beds in shelters, hostels and churches have been made available in the capital through local authorities, charities, faith and community groups after a Swep (Severe Weather Emergency Protocol) plan was triggered.

In response to the bitter conditions, St Mungo’s homeless charity and the City of London have opened a new emergency shelter - in the Guild Church of Saint Mary Aldermary - which took in seven people on its first night.

St Mungo’s said London was experiencing its most prolonged period of freezing conditions for seven years, with overnight temperatures dipping to minus 3C (26.6F) in the capital’s snow-blanketed centre.

Sam, who has been sleeping rough for five days, was found just before midnight on Wednesday in an underpass next to a London Underground station.

He had no sleeping bag or blanket, and would have spent the whole night with nothing but the clothes he was wearing if the outreach team had not taken him to a shelter.

Speaking inside, he said he was “very, very grateful”, adding that he had felt “cold but relieved that someone was there, that someone actually cared”, when the St Mungo’s workers approached him.

Asked how he had managed the cold, he said: “I’ve been walking around, but I find that I’ve got blisters on the bottom of my feet. I’ve been limping the past few days, it’s not been good at all. I just want to get back on track.”

Kathleen Sims, the charity’s rough sleepers service development manager, said Sam had been forced on to the streets after fleeing “squalid conditions in the outskirts of London where he was being made to work for little to no money”.

Sam told her he had gone to another local authority earlier in the day and had been given a piece of paper to return the next day, which gave no details of any day centres or how he could refer himself.

She said: “It’s not acceptable, but I think that some local authorities are overwhelmed and they don’t know how to help everybody.

The Press Association joined St Mungo’s outreach workers on a night shift around the Square Mile following up half a dozen referrals made by members of the public through StreetLink.

Petra Salva, director of rough sleeper services, said deaths on the streets over the bitterly cold snap were “a horrific possibility”.

She said: “If we don’t act, then people could die and ... we don’t know yet what the consequences of this prolonged cold weather has been.”

Let them eat potato, parsnip and porcini gratin ...

The Lynton and Lynmouth funicular railway on the North Devon coast is closed but the view from the stop of the cliff is stunning.

The funicular is powered by water but not when the water is frozen.

Updated

The Welsh Office has warned people in Cardiff, parts of Glamorgan, the Valleys, Newport and Monmouthshire, where the red weather warning applies, to heed the advice of the Met Office.

Red weather warnings are the highest alerts issued by the Met Office. They are issued when extreme weather is expected.

The Met Office guide to its warning system says:

Red means you should take action now to keep yourself and others safe from the impact of the weather. Widespread damage, travel and power disruption and risk to life is likely. You must avoid dangerous areas and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities.

They’re skiing to work in Glasgow.

Ch Insp Adrian Leisk, head of roads policing across Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, has urged the public to avoid all but essential travel by road, ahead of the red weather warning. The warning applies from 3pm in parts of Devon, Somerset and south Wales.

Leisk tweeted:

National Grid: UK is running out of gas

If you thought things couldn’t get any worse, National Grid has just warned that the UK will not have enough gas to meet demand on Thursday.

It is thought unlikely that the situation will affect supply to households, but if enough extra gas supplies by pipeline or ship are not forthcoming, it could affect industrial users.

RAF deployed to Lincolnshire

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that troops are helping the emergency services in Lincolnshire after the police in the county admitted they were struggling to cope with the snow.

An MOD spokesman said:

“The RAF is assisting in helping to transport health staff to hospitals and support health workers in visiting vulnerable people in the community in Lincolnshire following heavy snowfall.”

Earlier, Deputy Chief Constable of Lincolnshire, Craig Naylor, said: “At about lunchtime yesterday we realised we were overrun with requests from the 82 volunteers that we had out. And at that point we made the request to central government for military assistance.

“Thankfully our military as usual have come to our aid. So we have military officers and troops on the ground with four wheel drive vehicles assisting our volunteers.”

It is understood that 10 4x4 RAF vehicles and their crews have been deployed to Lincolnshire.

On Wednesday drivers were stuck for hours on the blocked A46 Lincoln bypass.

Updated

The snow is bringing out the best in people. Ross McKinnon, from Glasgow, runs an events and team-building company called Amazing Days which uses 4x4s with snow tyres. He posted on Facebook yesterday asking if any doctors, nurses or other essential staff were struggling to get to their places of work in the extreme weather.

Since then McKinnon and other volunteers have been shuttling nurses to premature care and children’s wards across the city, and picking up those finishing their shifts to take them back home. Having rounded up more 4x4s overnight, he started the next shift at 5am this morning having been bombarded with requests for help.

Paddington station closed

Severe weather has closed Paddington station, London’s main rail hub to the west country and Wales.

The Heathrow Express is one of the many services hit.

The heavy snowfall lashing Europe has forced Geneva airport to suspend all air traffic Thursday, while trains in Switzerland were also facing delays, AFP reports.

“Because of the prevailing weather conditions, Geneva Airport is currently closed to air traffic until further notice,” the airport said on its website.

“We therefore advise passengers not to come to the airport for the time being,” it said, recommending instead that “passengers check with their airline to see if their flight is still scheduled for departure.”

Switzerland has in recent days seen temperatures plunge to nearly -40C at higher altitudes.

At Switzerland’s other main airport, Zurich, air traffic did not appear to have been heavily impacted by the weather conditions, although there were some delays Thursday morning, Swiss public broadcaster RTS reported.

Ice meanwhile led to a number of accidents on Swiss motorways Thursday, while the country’s famed rail system was impacted.

The Neuchatel train station was closed to traffic, while delays were expected on a number of lines across the country, RTS reported.

Snow ploughs remove snow next to an EasyJet aircraft during a temporary closure at Cointrin airport in Geneva, Switzerland.
Snow ploughs remove snow next to an EasyJet aircraft during a temporary closure at Cointrin airport in Geneva, Switzerland. Photograph: Pierre Albouy/Reuters

The emergency services, local authorities, transport operators and schools are stepping up their preparations in the south west of England and Wales after the Met Office issued a red warning.

A spell of heavy snow and blizzard conditions is expected from 3pm in parts of Devon, Somerset and south Wales.

The warning says the snow will be accompanied by very strong easterly winds leading to severe drifting. Some areas could also see a significant build up of ice due to freezing rain.

Long delays and transport cancellations are likely, the Met Office says, as some roads become blocked with deep snow, stranding vehicles and passengers. Lengthy interruptions to power supplies are also possible.

More than 1,000 schools are already closed in the south west and west of England and Wales.

Andrew Morgan, the Welsh local government association spokesman for transport, warned that some areas could be cut off for a number of days if the conditions are as bad as expected.

Some seafront roads have been closed including at Torquay in Devon because of concerns over possible flooding because of the combination of strong winds and high tides.

The St Mawes ferry service between Falmouth and St Mawes has been cancelled.

North Bristol NHS Trust has asked for people with 4x4 vehicles to get in touch to help ferry patients and medics around.

The Met Office’s red warning means: “Extreme weather is expected. Red means you should take action now to keep yourself and others safe from the impact of the weather. Widespread damage, travel and power disruption and risk to life is likely. You must avoid dangerous areas and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities.”

Here’s the chief forecaster’s assessment:

“Around 10-20 cm is likely to fall widely, with the potential for up to 30 to 50 cm over parts of Dartmoor, Exmoor and parts of southeast Wales. Snowfall will be accompanied by strong to gale easterly winds, leading to severe drifting of lying snow especially in upland areas. Severe cold and wind chill will compound the dangerous conditions, with very poor visibility. Towards midnight, there is a chance of snow turning to freezing rain in places, mainly across the south of the area, with widespread icy stretches making driving conditions particularly dangerous.”

Ireland is facing total shut down from 4pm today with a red weather alert extended to all counties in Ireland by Met Eireann. Snow, ice and winds of up to 100kmph are expected later today.

People have been told to make sure they are indoors from 4pm today until to 3pm tomorrow as Storm Emma moves its way up from the south of the country compounded already severe weather.

Temperatures have already plummeted -4C in the midlands and are forecast to fall to as low as -7C.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar called on people to heed public safety warnings about the blizzard conditions that are expected.

Schools, colleges, courts will all be closed today and tomorrow.

Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann, the backbone of the public transport system have cancelled all services today with train services are expected to be suspended this afternoon.

Post offices will close from 1pm. Cork Airport is closed and flights in and out of Dublin are expected to be severely restricted. The public are advised only to use the roads for emergency services.

Red warning for blizzards South West England

The Met Office has issued another rare red extreme weather warning, this time for snow and wind for South West England from 3pm on Thursday.

It says:

A spell of heavy snow and blizzard conditions is expected. The snow will be accompanied by very strong easterly winds leading to severe drifting. Some places could also see significant ice build up due to freezing rain from later on Thursday evening, most likely in the south of the area. Long delays and cancellations of public transport seem highly likely. Some roads are likely to become blocked by deep snow, stranding vehicles and passengers. Long interruptions to power supplies and other utilities are very likely to occur, along with damage to trees and other structures due to heavy snow or ice.

Storyful has footage of deer exploring the snow-covered village of Dunkeld, in Scotland.

Hundreds of schools closed

Hundreds of schools have closed for a fourth day this week.

Schools in north-east England, where an amber warning for heavy snow still applies, have been particularly badly hit. The latest closures include:

Snow in Whitley Bay in Tyne and Wear as storm Emma, rolling in from the Atlantic, looks poised to meet the Beast from the East’s chilly Russia air - causing further widespread snowfall and bitter temperaturess.
Snow in Whitley Bay in Tyne and Wear as storm Emma, rolling in from the Atlantic, looks poised to meet the Beast from the East’s chilly Russia air - causing further widespread snowfall and bitter temperaturess. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Updated

ScotRail boss Alex Hynes says the network’s message to travellers this morning remains “please don’t travel with us”, with all services out of Glasgow and Edinburgh suspended.

He told BBC Radio Scotland that is was “tricky to say” when the services would return to normal. “We encourage customers not to travel if they can possibly avoid it and to keep in touch with us via our website and Twitter.”

Travellers stranded overnight at Glasgow airport have complained that airlines left them without anywhere to bed down overnight. The Red Cross distributed blankets and bedding for 100 people yesterday evening, but there were an estimated 600 people in the building.

It remains unclear when flights will resume and the airport’s operations manager estimated that around 600 need a place to bed down. Across the north of Scotland, energy companies have asked the Red Cross to check on vulnerable customers in case of power cuts.

The Scottish government’s minister for transport, Humza Yousaf, emphasised the warnings not to travel, encouraging employers to again be as flexible as possible over home-working.

“The travel advice in the affected areas today could not be clearer – do not travel unless it is absolutely necessary to do so.”

“Even after the red warning is lifted, large parts of Scotland will still be subject to high level amber weather warnings for snow. This should not be underestimated. An amber warning means there is a real possibility that vehicles and drivers will become stranded – something that we have already seen happen during this period of snow.”

“I strongly urge people to adhere to police advice by avoiding travel in areas with red and amber warnings. I also encourage employers to be as flexible as possible with their staff, allowing them to stay safe and avoid travel.”

'Troops on the ground' in Lincolnshire

The authorities in Lincolnshire have become so overrun with snow-related emergencies that they have called in the army.

Lincolnshire’s deputy chief constable, Craig Naylor, said there are “troops on the ground” after a critical incident was declared in the county to cope with the heavy snow.

Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Naylor said:

“At about lunchtime yesterday we realised we were over run with requests from the 82 volunteers that we had out. And at that point we made the request to central government for military assistance.

“Thankfully our military as usual have come to our aid. So we have military officers and troops on the ground with four wheel drive vehicles assisting our volunteers again today.”

Naylor said troops were helping those who are housebound or who need medical assistance.

The county has been placed on near lock down. Naylor said:

We have given advice that those who don’t need to travel shouldn’t travel. That includes people going to schools colleges etc. It is really challenging. Key roads across the county have been blocked, with vehicles and people trapped so we are looking to make sure no one is stuck in a car for any length of time, but this is incredibly challenging to the people stuck at night.

We have been planning for this since we got the warnings, but the sheer volume of snow and the type of snow is very powdery and forms drifts very quickly and that causes problems for gritters.

We have had gritters slipping and sliding last night causing problems in getting to people who are stuck.

The MoD said a request for military assistance in Lincolnshire had been made, but it could not confirm whether troops had been deployed.

Thursday snow so far

As Storm Emma heads over from the Atlantic to meet the beast from the east over the UK and Ireland, here’s what you need to know.

Travel latest

  • Hundreds of people spent the night trapped in their cars in freezing temperatures as Scotland’s M80 snarled to a halt. At one point, an estimated 1,000 vehicles were stuck. The motorway remains closed between junctions 8 and 9 southbound.
  • Emergency services and locals delivered hot drinks and blankets to those stranded. The Red Cross did the same for hundreds of passengers marooned at Glasgow airport.
  • “Most roads” in Lincolnshire are impassable, the police have said. Drivers were reported stranded on the A52 between Boston and Skegness.
  • No Virgin Trains are running north of Carlisle, and rail services across the UK are subject to severe disruption and cancellations.

The forecast

  • A red alert – the highest level – remains in place for central Scotland, with the Met Office warning of blocked roads, stranded vehicles and passengers, cancelled public transport, interruptions to power supplies, and a high risk that some communities “could become cut off for several days”.
  • Amber alerts for snow and ice are also in place across much of Scotland, Wales and southwest England.
  • Storm Emma is forecast bring 10-20cm of snow to south-west England and Wales later on Thursday, along with freezing rain.
  • Further snow showers and low temperatures are predicted today right across the UK.
  • A “status red” warning has been issued for Ireland by Met Éireann, with blizzards forecast for eastern and southern coastal counties. Sky News reports that everyone in Ireland is being advised to stay indoors from 4pm.

I’m now handing the live blog to my colleague Matthew Weaver, who’ll deliver all the latest developments throughout the day right here.

Do let us know conditions where you are, in the comments below, via this link or through the Guardian Witness button above.

As the morning rush hour begins, Police Scotland are this morning continuing to urge people to stay at home and not travel. They said there were already emerging problems on the roads with trucks and cars on the M80 and M876 between Bonnybridge and Stirling becoming stuck, and urged early drivers to avoid the area.

Police Scotland also confirmed that an estimated 1,000 vehicles were stuck on the M80 yesterday evening, with tailbacks of approximately 8 miles (13km). Emergency responders and volunteer agencies made contact with drivers and their passengers to check on their welfare and to distribute water and snacks whilst clearing a path for gritters to make the road surface passable.

Superintendent Helen Harrison said:

We are now 24 hours into the red and amber-related advice not to travel on the roads and rush hour last night was noticeably less busy thanks to people heeding our message. It remains the same this rush hour coming: do not travel.

If you can postpone your journey in affected areas until after the amber warning ceases, currently at 6pm tonight, I would urge you to do so. Many employers were able to allow staff to work flexibly and this approach is needed again today.

Every year, as a dusting of frozen precipitation causes the UK to grind to a halt, the cry goes up of “snowmageddon!”. But what is a mageddon, exactly?

Find out in our important investigation here:

“Most roads” in Lincolnshire are impassable, the police control room there has warned, adding that “no major route is without blockage from snow”.

Freezing rain forecast for Wales and south-west England

The forecast is for another dose of snowfall on Thursday. But added to that comes the prospect of freezing rain, thanks to the arrival of Storm Emma from the Atlantic.

Storm Emma could bring 10-20cm of snow to south-west England and Wales, says Andy Page, chief meteorologist with the Met Office. He adds:

Parts of south-west England and Wales could also see freezing rain for a time on Thursday night – a relatively rare weather phenomenon in the UK.

This can result in a high level of impact as ice forms very rapidly on surfaces, leading to severe risks affecting transport and power networks.

Freezing rain, the Met Office explains, “starts as snow, ice, or hail, which melts as it falls through a layer of relatively warmer air before refreezing in a layer of colder air. The rain droplets become ‘supercooled’ and are close to or below freezing on impact on surfaces such as roads, pavements and power cables.”

Priest’s Cove at Cape Cornwall near Penzance: now bracing for Storm Emma.
Priest’s Cove at Cape Cornwall near Penzance: now bracing for Storm Emma. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

The red warning in place across central Scotland is only the second red warning for snow the Met Office has issued since 2011.

The current alert – the highest possible – applies to Central, Tayside and Fife; south-west Scotland and Lothian Borders; and Strathclyde.

A red warning mean significant disruption is highly likely. The Met Office warns of:

  • roads becoming blocked by snow
  • some communities becoming cut off
  • long travel delays
  • cancellations to public transport services
  • loss of power supplies and other services.

The key advice? Don’t travel unless absolutely necessary. Stay inside. Keep warm.

Zero degrees might be a thwarted aspiration for many today.

According to the Met Office, Wednesday’s highest temperature in the UK was 1.7C, in Katesbridge, County Down. The coldest spot was Braemar, Aberdeenshire at -5.3C.

Forecaster Craig Snell said:

Generally many places on Thursday will struggle to get anywhere near -1C. A few people will come up above, but many of us will be firmly below freezing.

We have an update on the drivers who were stranded overnight, courtesy of Press Association:

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 on Thursday.

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.

Is it spring?

I have caused some consternation in the comments with my breezy “welcome to the first day of (meteorological) spring” in the opening blog post.

The (meteorological) was to distinguish it from the astronomical spring, which won’t make its – hopefully a tad warmer – way to the northern hemisphere until 21 March.

Commenter rockyrex explains it:

User avatar for rockyrex

Meteorologists divide the year into 4 sets of 3 months, so meteorological spring here is March, April, and May.

This system is used globally - but of course for the southern hemisphere the seasons reverse, so March April and May are autumn.

This enables data to be collated easily for comparisons.

Astronomically, the vernal equinox is the start of spring, as you say.

In some old calendars, spring starts on February 2nd, Candlemas Day, and lasts until the 1st of May, the traditional start of summer in those systems.

I've heard this confusing situation create arguments lots of times!

And the Met Office puts it this way:

1 March 2018 is the first day of the meteorological spring.

20 March 2018 is the first day of the astronomical spring.

Astronomical seasons refer to the position of Earth’s orbit in relation to the sun taking into account equinoxes and solstices. Meteorological seasons are instead based on the annual temperature cycle and measure the meteorological state as well as coinciding with the calendar to determine a clear transition between the seasons …

The meteorological seasons consists of splitting the seasons into four periods made up of three months each. These seasons are split to coincide with our Gregorian calendar making it easier for meteorological observing and forecasting to compare seasonal and monthly statistics. By the meteorological calendar, spring starts on 1 March.

We can, though, all agree that today in Europe does not feel especially spring-like, whichever calendar you prefer.

Updated

No Virgin Trains running north of Carlisle

There will be no Virgin Trains service from the north of England to Scotland for at least this morning.

National Rail advises those hoping to travel to and from Scotland not to do so, adding:

Due to the weather, the route between Carlisle and Scotland is closed with no trains, or replacement buses, running.

Alternative rail routes between England and Scotland are also severely disrupted.

Updated

The cold snap is making its presence felt right across Europe, as AFP reports:

Fresh heavy snowfalls and icy blizzards were expected to lash Europe on Thursday as the region shivers in a deadly deep-freeze that has gripped countries from the far north to the Mediterranean south.

Schools are shut and weather agencies predict the brutal cold will continue as the death toll from the freezing snap rose to around 48 since last Friday, with icy conditions causing accidents and endangering vulnerable rough sleepers.

The Siberian cold front – dubbed the “Beast from the East” in Britain, “Siberian bear” by the Dutch and the “snow cannon” by Swedes – has blanketed huge swaths of the region in snow and played havoc with transport networks.

Further blasts of wintry weather are expected, with authorities in Ireland and southern France among those to have issued red alerts late on Wednesday.

A snow-covered sand dune in La Teste-de-Buch, southwestern France.
A snow-covered sand dune in La Teste-de-Buch, southwestern France. Photograph: Nicolas Tucat/AFP/Getty Images

Homeless people account for many of the dead, and cities have been racing to open emergency shelters to protect people sleeping rough.

Authorities are also urging people to look out for elderly relatives and neighbours after a French woman in her nineties was found frozen to death outside her retirement home.

And in the northern port of Calais, authorities were launching emergency plans to shelter migrants who camp out near the coast hoping to stow away on trucks bound for Britain.

Temperatures plunged below -20C (-4F) overnight in parts of Europe, hitting -36C in Glattalp in the Swiss mountains.

Ahead of a predicted thaw towards the end of the week, both Belgium and Switzerland marked their coldest nights of the winter so far.

In northern England and Scotland, things are also … not moving:

TfL Rail, which covers train services in and out of London, has been tweeting frequently this morning about “amendments” to services.

By this it means lots of trains are cancelled, particularly those between Shenfield or Gidea Park to Liverpool Street (and vice versa). There are rather too many to list here but you can see the latest @TfLRail.

There’s little cheer if you were hoping to hop on a train at Reading, Ascot or in between, either:

Red alert for Ireland

Late on Wednesday night, a “status red” warning was issued for Ireland by Met Éireann. With snow and winds already lashing the country, the weather service expects this to worsen by Thursday afternoon and evening, unleashing blizzards on eastern and southern coastal counties.

Sky News reports that everyone in Ireland is being advised to stay indoors from 4pm. Schools, colleges and universities have been closed.

Authorities in Scotland, where alert levels are at red or amber, are advising travellers not to take to the roads today.

There’s little point heading to the airport either: no flights will be leaving or arriving at Glasgow until 11am at the earliest.

Those with tickets booked are advised to contact their airline.

Thursday morning summary

Welcome to the first day of (meteorological) spring. Thanks to the combined efforts of the beast from the east and Storm Emma from the Atlantic, it’s not going to feel particularly spring-like across the UK today.

Here’s what you need to know to start your chilly Thursday:

  • Hundreds of people spent the night trapped in their cars in freezing temperatures as Scotland’s M80 snarled to a halt. The motorway remains closed between junctions 8 and 9 southbound.
  • Emergency services and locals delivered hot drinks and blankets to those stranded. The Red Cross did the same for hundreds of passengers marooned at Glasgow airport.
  • A red alert remains in place for central Scotland, with the Met Office warning of blocked roads, stranded vehicles and passengers, cancelled public transport, interruptions to power supplies, and a high risk that some communities “could become cut off for several days”.
  • Amber alerts for snow and ice are also in place across much of Scotland, Wales and southwest England, where strong freezing winds are also forecast.
  • Further snow showers and low temperatures are predicted today across the UK.
  • Thousands of schools remain closed, and NHS England says it is under extreme pressure.
  • On Wednesday, a man in his 60s died after being pulled from a frozen lake in Welling, south-east London.

We’ll have all the latest developments throughout the day right here. Do let us know conditions where you are, in the comments below, via Twitter @Claire_Phipps, via this link or through the Guardian Witness button above.

Updated

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