Commuters returning to work after Christmas face gridlock after rain, sleet and snow lashed the UK overnight, causing a series of accidents and closures of major motorways.
Air travellers were also hit amid the chaos, including passengers with British Airways after it cancelled more than 30 flights to de-ice planes as temperatures overnight dropped to below -4c.
For motorists, the southbound stretch of the M1 was shut from junction 19 after a lorry crash, closing all three lanes and causing massive tailbacks for several miles.
Leicestershire Police tweeted that the force was working to tackle the chaos and urged motorists to make other travel arrangements to avoid the snarl-up after the festive break.
A separate tweet read: “Please be aware that Snow is falling across the county and in some cases it is settling, causing hazardous conditions for drivers. Please take care and take the necessary precautions.”
Elsewhere, a lorry jack-knifed on the M5 at junction 11a in Gloucestershire, with police calling on motorists to take “extra care” if travelling in the area.
The Eastbound stretch of the A30 near to Cornwall Services at Victoria was also shut down after what police described as a "serious" traffic accident.
An ambulance reportedly collided with a black BMW at just after 5am.
“Three persons were released before fire service attendance, and fire crews assisted police and ambulance making scene safe,” said a spokesperson for Cornwall Police, reported local newspaper The Herald.
In further headaches for commuters trying to get back to work after the Christmas break, there was disruption on the A14 westbound in Suffolk between junctions 47 Elmswell and 45 due to flooding.
It came as the Met Office issued severe weather warnings over ice, rain and snow. Up to 7cm of it fell in parts of the country overnight, while wind gusted up to 50mph and temperatures plunged to below -4C.
Air travellers were also caught up in the chaos, with British Airways cancelling more than 30 flights to and from Heathrow. Services to Amsterdam, Munich and Paris were among those affected.
BA posted on its website: “Sleet and possibly snow are forecast for the Heathrow area this morning so we are making some adjustments to our schedule.
“During cold weather conditions aircraft have to be de-iced prior to departure to ensure that they are safe and additional measures are taken to ensure the safety of our operation is maintained at all times."
Eurowings has cancelled a round-trip from Hamburg to Heathrow amid the weather chaos that has struck the country.
London City airport was forced to divert five arriving flights: two on KLM and Flybe, which went to Southend, and one on Alitalia that touched down at Gatwick.
The train network was also hit by the severe weather, with travellers facing closures and delays, National Rail said. Much of the disruption was caused by debris, including trees that had blown onto tracks after a night of gale winds.
All the major train operators were affected including Southeastern, Thameslink and South Western Railway. Commuters are being urged to check the National Rail Enquiries journey planner before travelling.
In further misery, thousands were left without electricity as the wintry weather swept in overnight, with Western Power Networks saying more than 14,000 properties had been cut off.
Officials said they were working to restore all power throughout the morning - as late as midday in some areas - across its network which comprises the Midlands, South West and Wales.
