UK travel news - LIVE: Snow and ice cause road closures and flight cancellations across Britain

Snow and ice warnings are in place for parts of Scotland and all of England and Wales for Tuesday and Wednesday this week as cold, unsettled conditions bring the chance of disruptive snow to all parts of the UK.

According to the Met Office, a cold air mass is established across the UK, and a low pressure system heading for France will bring snow and wintry weather to many parts of the country as it meets this cold air.

Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said, “As the moist air from a weather system bringing storms to France clashes with the cold air sitting over the UK, it brings the chance of wintry showers and snow disruption to most parts.

“It’s not possible at this stage to be certain where exactly will see the worst impacts of any snow, but people need to be prepared for the possibility of disruption and make sure they check the forecast regularly.

“Areas of higher ground are most likely to see significant snowfall, so it’s particularly important to take extra care when planning and travelling in those places.”

There is the risk of further disruptive snow and ice to parts of the country towards the end of the week, most likely south and central UK. 

Several cars have become stuck in South Gwynedd in north Wales due to heavy snow.

The first of the yellow weather warnings from the Met Office concerns Wales, northern and western England. A band of rain will arrive around midday on Tuesday, then move eastwards through Tuesday afternoon and evening.

The rain will turn quickly to snow on hills. Above 200m, 3-5 cm snow is expected, increasing to 10 cm in places.

A patchy covering of 1-2 cm is possible at lower altitudes. As skies clear overnight, ice is likely to form, while wintry showers will follow into western areas on Wednesday morning.

Police are warning drivers to take care after the snowy conditions have already caused several accidents today.

A car flipped onto its roof near Shap in Cumbria, while in North Wales there have been reports of cars stuck on the A487 in the Upper Corris area.

With the East Midlands and South East due to be hit by snow from 5pm on Tuesday 29 until Wednesday at midday, Transport for London has activated its cold weather plans.

TfL said: “Cold weather, including snow in certain parts of the region, has been forecast for the next few days.

“We have put our cold weather plans into effect which include:

“London Underground and Overground de-icing trains running overnight; heating points to keep trams running; gritting roads, including cycle lanes to help keep the roads, footways, rail stations and cycle lanes open and safe.”

Heavy snowfall is being reported across Lancashire and Yorkshire, with many sharing their pictures on social media.

Ben Gledhill tweeted: "Already snowed in in the North West and it’ll only get worse."

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Highways England has warned that drivers should take the time to ensure that they and their vehicles are prepared for the snow and ice across the country.

The RAC says it sees a sharp increase in the volume of breakdowns when the weather turns cold and advises taking the time to ensure you carry out the right checks on your car before driving; any underlying mechanical issues could escalate as temperatures plummet.

"We suggest you remember and use the acronym FORCES for the regular ‘DIY checks’ you should carry out through the winter and especially as we head into another icy blast," says the RAC on its website. "That's Fuel, Oil, Rubber, Coolant, Electrics, Screen wash."

British Airways has cancelled a dozen short-haul flights to and from Heathrow ahead of the expected severe weather.

They are BA flights on Tuesday evening to and from Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Glasgow, Munich and Zurich. One flight from Manchester to Heathrow has also been cancelled.

A departure to Singapore due out early on Monday evening is currently running 21 hours late. The Independent has asked British Airways for the reason.