Snow hits Northern Wales and the North West of England

Much of Britain is facing another day of cold temperatures and travel disruption after overnight lows dropped below freezing for the bulk of the country.

Some parts of northern England, including much of Greater Manchester, woke to snow on Tuesday morning, with outbreaks of sleet and snow forecast to become more persistent during the day.

A yellow warning is in place for snow and ice across the North West and North Wales until midnight, with further warnings in place until midnight on Thursday.

A "cold plunge of Arctic air" has moved south across the whole country over the past few days, making it 5C to 6C lower than usual for this time of year, the Met Office said.

Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said Tuesday could see a "persistent band of snow" over three to six hours in parts of northern England and Wales.

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a Cold-Health Alert, which warns of possible impacts for the health and social care sector.

National Highways has put in place a severe weather alert for snow affecting the North West on Tuesday, with road users advised to plan ahead and some rural communities warned they could be temporarily cut off.

Amy Fellows, national network manager at National Highways, said: "Freezing conditions bring so many hazards such as snow and ice, so take every possible step to understand your journey in advance and allow lots of extra time when travelling to prepare for the unexpected."

National Rail has warned the wintry weather could affect train journeys all week.

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