Arctic snap expected to continue

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Freezing conditions continue across the UK

The cold snap is expected to continue across much of the UK, with lows of -8C (17.6F) forecast for much of southern England and Wales.

Forecasters say temperatures could drop to -10C in rural Hampshire and Surrey and Bristol could dip to -6C overnight.

The mercury dropped to -11C in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, and in Shap, Cumbria, on Monday night.

There are not currently any severe weather warnings in place, but drivers are still being urged to take care.

The RAC reported blackspots in the West Midlands and northern and south-eastern England.

Much of the UK woke up to icy scenes [Photo: Steve Dawes]

There were school closures in several areas on Tuesday, including 20 schools across Wales.

Water from burst pipes flooded a classroom and caused the collapse of the staffroom ceiling at Bourton-on-the-Water Primary, in Gloucestershire.

Meanwhile, police in south-west England urged drivers to delay journeys because of ice after seven crashes, including two multi-car collisions on the A38 at Harcombe Bends, Devon, and at Tideford, Cornwall.

City lows

Forecasters say temperatures in Scotland will rise throughout the day as cloud and rain spreads southwards.

However, sub-zero temperatures will remain in the Manchester and Hull areas and southern England, the Midlands and Wales face another freezing night.

Cardiff, Birmingham and Nottingham are due to suffer lows of -5C, with London dropping to -2C.

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Gritters were out spreading thousands of tonnes of salt on roads across the UK throughout the night on Monday.

Also on Monday, motoring organisations reported a 100% increase in the number of call-outs they had received.

The AA said most of the extra workload came from home starts, with flat batteries being the most common problem.

Age Concern urged vulnerable older people to take extra precautions to stay warm and keep active during the cold spell.

The charity added that