Motorists warned after roads affected by snowfalls
Motorists have been urged to take extra care in hazardous driving conditions as snow swept across parts of the UK.
Areas of Scotland, Wales, northern England and the Midlands were affected on Thursday, leading to difficult conditions on some routes.
Met Office weather warnings were in place for the first half of Thursday, urging people to be aware of snow across large parts of northern and eastern UK.
The yellow alerts were covering all of Scotland and Northern Ireland, northern England, the East Midlands and the Yorkshire and Humber areas.
Snow fell by the Angel of the North in Gateshead as temperatures struggled to get beyond low single figures in the region.
The A68 was closed in both directions between Errington Arms roundabout and the A6079 junction because of snow. On the B6317, long delays and hazardous driving conditions were reported.
The B6341 was closed in both directions between the B6344 junction in Rothbury and New Moor Crossroads in Edlingham because of snow.
Northumbria Police reported problems on the A690 eastbound, with a partial road closure at Houghton Cut. HGVs and buses were being re-routed by police.
Two schools in Northumberland were reportedly closed because of the severe weather conditions.
In Yorkshire, areas such as Swaledale and the Pennines near Leyburn were coated in the white stuff as people remained on alert for continuing wintry conditions.
Further south, snow fell over parts of the Staffordshire Moorlands overnight and in Wales the snow and icy conditions were reportedly affecting travel with some roads closed.
The A474 in Neath was closed earlier after a car overturned in icy conditions between Cwmgors and Pontardawe.
About 3-6cm of snow was expected quite widely in some parts of central and east Scotland, with the possibility of more than 10cm on higher ground.
In Midlothian, the A68 from Pathhead to Fala was shut for a while after a jack-knifed lorry blocked the road. The same road was also closed temporarily at Carter Bar due to an accident.
The A1, A7, and M8 also experienced snow overnight.
In the Scottish Borders, the local authority urged motorists to "take care on the roads and drive to the conditions".
It said the Longformacus to Gifford road was closed due to drifting snow. Drivers were also asked to avoid the Dunion Road between Jedburgh and Hawick due to the conditions.
In Stirling, snow covered the area surrounding the city's famous castle. Further north, the B974 Banchory to Fettercairn was closed at Cairn o Mount due to severe weather.
The Met Office said the rain and snow will soon clear from central and south-western parts of Scotland, leading to widespread ice on untreated surfaces.
Police Scotland said officers had received a number of reports of incidents on roads on Wednesday and advised motorists to take care.
The plummeting temperatures have also prompted public health chiefs to warn the elderly to keep their homes warm and have the flu jab as forecasters predict the cold front is set to remain into the weekend, with Scotland and northern England bearing the brunt of the wintry weather.
John Lee, a forecaster at MeteoGroup, said: "Over the next few days temperatures are unlikely to get much higher than 5C (41F) or 6C (42.8F) pretty much anywhere and we are likely to see more widespread frost."
