UK weather: Snow covers parts of country as schools close and commuters face disruption
More snow, ice and rain is on the way after schools were shut and travel disrupted amid weather warnings.
Snow covered parts of the UK on Thursday after 10cm of snow was measured by the Met Office in Kirkwall, Orkney, while 9cm was recorded in Bingley, West Yorkshire.
Dozens of schools shut as a result in northern England and North Wales, while disruption should be expected on roads and railways.
An amber weather warning in place across the Pennines on Thursday has passed, but a mixture of yellow rain and snow warnings are still in force across the four nations.
Power cuts and travel delays could be seen along with potential injuries from falling on icy surfaces.
UK weather latest as county closes all schools
Snow settled particularly quickly in Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham, while Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said earlier the worst of the weather is still to come.
"Through [Thursday] morning and this afternoon, you're more likely to see accumulations," he added. "The snow risk tomorrow is moving much further north, and it will be a bit of a drier day."
Sky News' north of England correspondent Shingi Mararike, who is currently in Harden, West Yorkshire, said the snow was coming "thick and fast".
"The scenes are postcard-like and picturesque but that does come with its dangers," he said.
Get the weather forecast where you are
Elsewhere, Sky News national correspondent Tom Parmenter, who is in Buxton, Derbyshire, said while it is "not a great surprise to see snow in Buxton" it "has caused disruption".
He said: "We've seen a lot of schools close, we've seen roads close and there have been quite a few nasty accidents out on the roads."
Warnings in place
A yellow rain warning covering much of southern England and southeast Wales - including London and Cardiff - ran until 6am on Friday, with 15-25mm likely and up to 45mm on higher routes.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated a cold health alert for the Midlands and north of England, warning of risks to infrastructure and vulnerable groups which lasted until 8pm on Thursday.
School closures were also reported in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Cumbria.
How is Friday looking?
Snowfall is expected to ease on Friday, but warnings are still in place.
Five yellow weather warnings for snow and ice will be in force, with two of them covering Scotland and another covering northern England and the Midlands.
Read more:
Full list of areas in the UK where it's forecast to snow this week
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Northern Ireland will also be under a yellow weather warning for snow and ice.
Meanwhile, in southern England and a section of Wales the yellow weather warning for rain lasts until 6am.
