Freezing temperatures and further snow could cause power cuts and road closures in parts of the UK, with police in some areas urging drivers to only travel if “absolutely essential”.
Yellow alerts for fresh snow and ice are in place across much of Britain, with an amber alert in force for northern Scotland.
It comes after the country experienced its coldest night of the year so far, with temperatures as low as -9.8C in Topcliffe, north Yorkshire and Cornwall hit by heavy snowfall.
The Met Office said 32cm of snow fell at Loch Glascarnoch in the Scottish Highlands on Tuesday morning; Altnaharra saw 11cm, Wick Airport on Scotland’s far north coast had 8cm and Lerwick in the Shetland Islands had 7cm of snow.
In Somerset, a double-decker bus with 70 people on board overturned in icy conditions, injuring dozens and leaving some needing surgery.
Avon and Somerset Police had declared a major incident after the crash on the A39 Quantock Road, in Bridgwater, which involved a motorcyclist as well as the vehicle,which was carrying workers to Hinkley Point C power station.
The NHS in Somerset said 27 patients were taken to a minor injuries unit while another 26 were taken to the emergency department at Musgrove Hospital for injuries consistent with a “serious traffic collision”.
The Met Office said that “snow showers and icy stretches may cause some disruption,” with higher ground seeing as much as 5-10 cm.
An ice warning covers much of southern England until 10am on Wednesday.
The Met Office said it expects milder air to start moving in from Friday afternoon but spokesman Oli Claydon said: “That will slowly spread across the rest of the UK. South East England will hold onto colder temperatures for longer.”
It could be the early part of next week before temperatures to return to normal across England and Wales.
The County Councils Network, which represents 36 county and unitary district councils in England, said more than 2,000 warm spaces remain open as temperatures drop and people look for somewhere to keep warm amid the cost of living crisis.
Avon and Somerset Police has people not to travel unless “absolutely essential”, warning of “extremely icy and dangerous” conditions. It said it had received more than 100 reports of road-related incidents in five hours on Tuesday morning.
Devon and Cornwall Police also urged drivers to exercise caution after snow showers swept across the two counties.
