Snow storms were expected to hit swathes of central and northern England on Thursday after the coldest March temperature in more than a decade was recorded overnight.
The Met Office has issued two amber warnings for "strong winds bringing blizzard conditions" and up to 16in (40cm) of snow for an area stretching from Stoke-on-Trent to Durham, and North Wales as an Arctic blast continues to sweep the UK.
"Significant disruption" to transport including flights, power lines and phone network coverage is likely in the regions covered by the warnings.
The amber "snow" alert for England lasts for 21 hours from 3pm on Thursday and covers major cities including Liverpool, Sheffield, Bradford and Leeds.
London has traded snow for heavy rain after Arctic conditions on Wednesday caused flight cancellations and delays at Gatwick, Heathrow and London City Airport.
The Environment Agency has issued five alerts for locations on the south coast of England, and for residents between Putney Bridge and Teddington Weir along the River Thames in the capital, where flooding is “possible”.
Many commuters still faced wintry conditions with Luton, St Albans and Reading among the places expecting “spells of snow”. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has placed all regions of England under a level 3 cold weather alert – lasting until midnight on Thursday.
This comes after the coldest temperature of 2023 - minus 16C - was recorded at Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands on Wednesday night.
Met Office forecasters said this was also the lowest March temperature seen in the UK since 2010, when minus 18.6C was recorded at Braemar in Aberdeenshire.
The Queen Consort has pulled out of engagements in Newmarket after the weather disrupted her travel plans, Buckingham Palace said.
A Palace spokesman said: “Her Majesty’s engagements at Newmarket later today have had to be postponed due to the weather impacting on transport arrangements. Her Majesty is of course very sorry not to be able to attend and will hope to find another date to visit in due course.”
Agostinho Sousa, a consultant at UKHSA, said the cold weather could have a “serious impact” on people’s health, particularly the elderly.
For Thursday, forecasters have predicted daytime temperatures in the low single figures and sub-zero temperatures overnight for much of the UK, with slightly warmer conditions in the south.
A yellow warning for "heavy snow" also covers Northern Ireland, most of Wales, and a large area between Glasgow and Birmingham until 2pm on Friday.
The Met Office has said an Arctic air mass from the north meeting mild air from the south is causing the turbulent weather over central areas.
Bristol Airport has reopened after bing forced to close on Wednesday but departures are still being delayed by "low visibility and snow disruption" along with French air traffic control strikes, so passengers have been advised to contact their airline ahead of flying.
RAC Breakdown said there had been “an increase in breakdowns” in a zone stretching west from London along the M4 corridor and into Wales amid the cold weather.
Rod Dennis, from the RAC, said: “We’re continuing to monitor the weather situation closely, but with further snow expected over the next few days there is still the potential for some significant disruption to journeys.
“Even a little snow and ice can make roads treacherous, so we're advising everyone who does set out to proceed extremely cautiously.
“We’re also conscious that there will be a large number of new drivers who may never have experienced snow on the roads before, so we urge them to take particular care and drive well within the speed limit to give themselves plenty of time to react should the vehicle in front run into difficulty.”
Mr Dennis advised motorists venturing out to prepare for their journeys by packing warm clothes and blankets, sturdy footwear, food and drink, and a portable phone charger.
Meanwhile, National Highways has warned drivers in the West Midlands and the east of England not to travel unless their journey is essential.
Met Office spokesperson Nicola Maxey said it was “not that unusual to see snow in March”.
“March is a transition month from winter into spring,” she said. “Statistically, you’re more likely to see snow in March than in December.”
