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Warnings issued as Britain hit by more snow and ice Warnings remain in place as England hit by more snow
(about 9 hours later)
Severe weather warnings for ice and snow are in place across much of Britain as the Arctic freeze continues. Severe weather warnings for ice and snow are in place across much of England, after the second significant snowfall in less than a week.
Rain expected across Scotland, Wales, and the north and west of England, could freeze on hitting the ground. Snow fell in most parts of England and parts of Wales overnight but other areas of the UK largely saw rain.
In Cumbria, police have urged people not to drive after almost 100 accidents caused by freezing rain. Ice in parts of Wales and England is causing hazardous driving conditions.
Snow, occasionally heavy, that hit the north of England in the afternoon, has moved southwards to the Midlands, south Wales and southern England. The largest amount of snow fell in Lincolnshire - 8cm (3in) - and the coldest temperature, of -7C, was recorded at Houghton Hall in Norfolk.
Emergency calls Further light snow will affect some areas of Wales and south-west England during Friday morning, but amounts are expected to be small.
href="http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/coldweatheralert/" >The Met Office has issued an "amber" warning for the whole of England, the second-highest level of alert, telling people to "be prepared" for severe cold weather, icy conditions and heavy snow between Thursday and Monday. 'Quieter weekend'
"Yellow" warnings, telling people to "be aware", for snow and ice are in place for much of England and eastern Wales. There should be a slight thaw setting in over the weekend, BBC forecasters said.
Forecasters are predicting rain could freeze instantly as it hits very cold surfaces in some places, with the resulting ice making pavements and roads "extremely hazardous". However, href="http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/coldweatheralert/" >an "amber" warning from the Met Office - the second-highest level of alert - remains in place for nine parts of England, telling people to "be prepared" for severe cold weather, icy conditions and heavy snow until Monday.
"Yellow" warnings, telling people to "be aware" for snow and ice are also in place for much of England and southern and eastern Wales.
BBC forecaster Laura Gilchrist said snow began falling in north-west England and the north-west Midlands on Thursday evening, before gradually moving through the East Midlands and down towards central southern England.
The largest snowfalls were seen in South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, she said, but nearly all parts of England would have seen snow overnight.
There was little snow elsewhere, although parts of Monmouthshire, Powys and the south Wales valleys saw a "dusting" of snow.
Our forecaster said it was cold overnight but there had not been any "significant" drops in temperature.
She said no more snow was expected on Friday, and it was "easing away now".
Clear skies will lead to a hard frost on Friday night across England and Wales, with temperatures dropping to as low as -8C.
'Potential disruption'
Ice and snow continue to affect many parts of England and Wales this morning, although not severe enough to cause major problems for travellers, forecasters said.
Surrey Police are advising residents and motorists to take care, with up to 5cm of snow expected to have fallen by early on Friday.
"The freezing conditions could lead to some potential disruption on the road network, particularly during the morning rush hour," a spokesman said.
In south Wales, the A470 is closed after two vehicles crashed on ice near Nant Ddu between Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil at 05:45 GMT on Friday. Icy conditions on the roads are being reported in parts of north and south Wales, where temperatures remain close to freezing.
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The A66 trans-Pennine route was closed on Thursday morning after a number of lorries jack-knifed near Stainmore in Cumbria and there have been a large number of crashes on the M6. Train companies are also gearing up to deal with the bad weather, with Network Rail running empty "ghost" trains and de-icer units being used to try to keep tracks and overhead cables free of snow and ice.
North West Ambulance Service control centres have answered almost 700 emergency calls since 08:00 GMT on Thursday, and responded to 187 incidents where people had fallen. The Association of Train Operating Companies said: "The whole industry will be working hard to get people from A to B as quickly and reliably as possible."
Meanwhile, staff at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary are asking people not to go to A&E unless it is strictly necessary. Passengers for Heathrow are advised to check their flight's status before setting off and to allow extra time for their journey after it was hit by light snow overnight.
'Ice patches' However, a spokesman said no disruption was expected.
A Cumbria County Council spokeswoman warned that road conditions were expected to remain hazardous through Friday. Gatwick, London Luton, Birmingham International and Stansted said they were open and operating as normal and were not expecting disruption despite the wintry weather.
She said: "Although air temperatures have risen above freezing in many places, ground temperatures remain below zero, causing the rain to freeze on the ground and create patches of black ice." 'Perfect storm'
In Gateshead, Tyneside, six vehicles collided in freezing conditions on the Felling bypass and drivers were trapped after a crash at the junction of the A194 and the A1 southbound. On Thursday, the A66 trans-Pennine route was closed after a number of lorries jack-knifed near Stainmore in Cumbria and there have been a large number of crashes on the M6. There were more than 100 road incidents in Cumbria.
BBC weather forecaster Alex Deakin said: "Freezing rain is when super-cooled water droplets hit a surface and instantly freeze - almost impossible to drive on. A spokesman for Cumbria County Council warned that road conditions are expected to remain hazardous, describing Thursday's freezing rain as a "perfect storm".
"Now, the emphasis is shifting. Yes, it's still icy outside but we're also now starting to see some snow falling." Meanwhile, href="/news/uk-england-surrey-16961607" title="Tributes to dead car enthusiast" >tributes have been paid to a classic car enthusiast who died after falling into a lake at a golf club in Surrey.
He said the snow would gradually track its way southwards down England through Thursday evening and overnight. It is thought Tim Waddingham, 53, from Rudgwick, West Sussex, may have been trying to rescue his dog from the ice.
Up to 5cm (2ins) of snow could fall in some places, he said. North West Ambulance Service said its control centres answered more than 700 emergency calls on Thursday and responded to 187 incidents where patients had fallen.
Train services Meanwhile, charities are warning that elderly people are among the most vulnerable in the cold weather and urge people to check on their older relatives or neighbours.
A spokesman for the train companies said they were were gearing up to deal with the bad weather.
"The whole industry will be working hard to get people from A to B as quickly and reliably as possible," he said.
A Network Rail spokesman added: "We are working closely with the forecasters and train operators to track the weather system across the country and put plans into action to run the best possible train service for passengers."
With the snow and ice, the charity Age UK has warned that elderly people are particularly vulnerable.
Age UK director general Michelle Mitchell said: "Low temperatures raise blood pressure which puts people at a greater risk of heart attacks and strokes as well as increasing the likelihood and severity of flu and other respiratory problems."

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