High winds have brought travel chaos and power cuts to hundreds of people, as gusts of more than 90mph were recorded in parts of the country.
The Met Office issued severe weather warnings of wind and snow for Scotland, the north of England and Northern Ireland on Wednesday.
A gust of 93mph was recorded at High Bradfield in South Yorkshire, while Tiree was hit by a 77mph gust and South Uist by one of 73mph.
The strong winds caused damage across the country overnight, with power cuts reported in Scotland and north-east England.
We're still seeing some powerful gusts of wind, here is the latest picture. Showers are turning wintry ❄️️ across the Scottish mountains too pic.twitter.com/KCrHqhGFMC
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 11, 2017
Northern Powergrid, which supplies power to homes in the north-east and Yorkshire, said it had 545 customers without power on Wednesday morning.
The Forth Road Bridge near Edinburgh has been closed in both directions after a lorry was blown over at about 2am. No one was injured but the bridge is likely to remain closed for some time as the strong winds hamper recovery efforts.
The lorry driver has been charged. A Police Scotland spokesman said: “A 54-year-old man has been charged following a collision on the Forth Road Bridge at around 2am on January 11. A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.”
The lorry is still on its side, can't imagine it will be cleared anytime soon. #forthroadbridge pic.twitter.com/pFRH51wwLE
— Jamie McNeil (@JMcNeil89) January 11, 2017
If you're heading north be aware there are restrictions to high sided & vulnerable vehicles on the #A66 #M62 #A628 #A19 due to strong winds pic.twitter.com/FJfbs6z1S8
— Highways England (@HighwaysEngland) January 11, 2017
Northumbria police said trees and walls had come down overnight, with one street in Newcastle city centre closed because of wind damage, in which part of the roof of Debenhams in the Eldon Square shopping centre in Newgate Street was torn off. Debris was strewn across the normally busy city centre street, with a police cordon in place at either end.
The roof has blown off Debenhams! #stormdamage #newcastle pic.twitter.com/w9wJlcRFdH
— Sarah Falconer (@sarahfalconer_) January 11, 2017
West Yorkshire police said there had been several road closures because of fallen trees.
In Scotland, the ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne warned of heavy disruption across the network, with some sailings cancelled for the rest of the day.
Tricky driving conditions are expected on Wednesday as gusts of up to 75mph and wintry weather sweep across northern areas.
Several inches of snow could settle on higher ground in parts of Scotland, while lower areas will receive a dusting.
The forecaster Craig Snell said the snowfall could lead to dangerous conditions on the roads, and the strong winds could force bridge closures and cause lorry buffeting. He said the winds would drop off during the afternoon but pick up again by Wednesday evening, leading to a combination of wind and snow.
There is also a chance of thunder and lightning, which could disrupt the power supply and bring “thundersnow”. Snell added that it would be “a very unsettled and cold day across the northern half of the country”.
Temperatures may drop to -5C (23F) in parts of Scotland, but freezing conditions are possible elsewhere in England.
Stream of very cold air will bring #snow for some areas on Thursday⚠️Warnings: https://t.co/rNPERNpv1T ⚠️ #uksnow pic.twitter.com/iPLJuTOM64
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 10, 2017
The forecaster said it might feel mild in the morning across the country, but people would notice the chill when they headed home after work. By Thursday, the stream of cold air will spread further south, bringing hazardous conditions to much of the UK.
Plummeting temperatures are expected last into the weekend due to a polar maritime airmass, with its origins over northern Canada, moving into northern Scotland and then south across the whole of the UK.
The Met Office’s snow warning extends to parts of north-west England on Thursday, with a risk of wintry weather in southern England, while strong winds and wintry showers will continue to affect Scotland.
About 2cm of snow is possible in low-lying areas, while 10cm could fall on high ground.
Snell said the next few days would be distinctly colder, with bitter weather across all parts of the country by Thursday. He added that it would remain windy and cold on Friday, with potentially large waves and coastal flooding down the eastern side of the country.
Freezing temperatures across Europe in recent days have led to more than a dozen deaths and major disruption to power, water supplies and transport networks. Temperatures as low as -30C caused ice to form on the Adriatic Sea, the Danube and many small rivers, lakes and ponds.
Thousands of refugees are enduring freezing temperatures in flimsy tents across Greece, with reports that illness among elderly and infirm people have been rife.
