1. News
  2. UK
  3. Home News

UK snow - live updates: Weather latest as Arctic air blast after Storm Caroline causes hundreds of schools to close across Britain

Live Blog

Temperatures plunge as 500 homes in Scotland left without power overnight

Click to follow
The Independent Online

Key Points

Parts of the UK woke up to snow on Friday morning as forecasters warned up to 20cm (8in) could fall in some regions.

Temperatures plunged across the UK as Storm Caroline brought winds of up to 90mph to northern Scotland and left an Arctic air flow in its wake. 

About 8cm of snow had already fallen in Aviemore, in the Scottish Highlands, by dawn on Friday, while parts of Northern Ireland, Wales and areas to the west of the Pennines had also seen a covering.

Forecasters said snow was likely to become more widespread throughout the day, and a yellow weather warning was in place for ice and snow across much of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and parts of northern and western England.

Live Updates

And another:
Unsurprisingly, quite a few passengers are far from happy about the flight cancellations at Belfast City Airport.

Airline passengers have been delayed at Belfast City Airport after its de-icing machine broke down. Several flights in and out of the airport have been postponed or cancelled as heavy snow is dumped across Northern Ireland.

 A weather warning from the Met Office. More snow expected.

The AA reports that multiple car accidents have occurred on the A55 in north Wales due to "hazardous driving conditions". A lane was closed to prevent any further incidents.

A snapshot of the weekend weather across the UK.
Western Power Distribution has a map showing the power cuts affecting the Midlands, the South West and Wales.
 
More than 350 schools are closed and hundreds of homes are without power in the West Midlands. People in Shropshire are also being warned not to drive unless absolutely necessary.
Here are 12 tips for staying safe while driving in the wind and snow, provided by the Met Office.
Urquhart Castle, which sits beside the Loch Ness, will close early today due to the snow, but at least it looks rather pretty.
The Met have provided a graphic showing how the blast of Arctic air has moved down from the north of Scotland into Wales and northern England.
The Met Office has issued a Yellow severe weather warning for wind and snow showers. The forecaster is warning of potential "short term power loss".
Cold temperatures are likely to remain well into next week, with forecasters also warning that Sunday could see further heavy snow showers.

Another yellow weather warning for snow has been issued for central parts of the UK, which is in place from 4am on Sunday until just before midnight.
Chester town centre this morning in the wake of Storm Caroline. 
 
Derbyshire County Council's Twitter account has posted an image of the A623 overnight.
 
Barra Best, a BBC weather forecaster in Belfast, has shared images of the snow in Northern Ireland.

All schools in Orkney, Shetland, and the Isle of Man have been closed on Friday, while dozens more failed to open in Northern Ireland, Aberdeenshire and the Highlands.

Storm Caroline left around 500 homes in Shetland, Orkney and Caithness without power overnight. Repair teams were stood down for safety reasons due to high winds.

Up to 8 inches of snow forecast

The IndependentParts of Britain woke to a blanketing of snow on Friday morning as forecasters warned up to 20cm (8in) could fall in some places. Storm Caroline, which brought more than 90mph gales to parts of northern Scotland, left an Arctic air flow in its wake, with temperatures plunging across the UK. About 8cm of snow had already fallen in Aviemore, in the Scottish Highlands, by dawn on Friday, while parts of Northern Ireland, Wales and areas to the west of the Pennines had also seen a covering.
Good morning, and welcome to The Independent's live updates as Storm Caroline leaves behind snow, ice and travel chaos across parts of the UK.

Please allow a moment for the live blog to load.

Met Office meteorologist John West said: “We saw a fairly consistent stream of snow showers overnight, and there will be a constant feed throughout the day and into Friday.

Storm Caroline brings snow to the UK

Storm Caroline brings snow to the UK

  • 1/12

    Walkers at Ribblehead Viaduct in Yorkshire

    PA

  • 2/12

    Snow falls in Chester

    PA

  • 3/12

    The scene near Ribblehead in Yorkshire

    PA

  • 4/12

    Josh Clewley harvests Brussels sprouts at Essington Farm in Wolverhampton in the run up to Christmas

    PA

  • 5/12

    A young schoolboy runs through the snow near Crumlin in Belfast

    Getty Images

  • 6/12

    Ribblehead Viaduct bathed morning sunlight in Yorkshire

    PA

  • 7/12

    Snow falls in Chester

    PA

  • 8/12

    The scene in Austwick, North Yorkshire, as parts of Britain woke up to a blanket of snow caused by an Arctic airflow in the wake of Storm Caroline

    PA

  • 9/12

    Children off from school due to the weather make their way past a large snowman on Black mountain in Belfast

    Getty Images

  • 10/12

    A vehicle near Ribblehead in Yorkshire

    PA

  • 11/12

    Snow falls in Chester

    PA

  • 12/12

    A truck near Ribblehead in Yorkshire

    PA

“We could see some fairly significant accumulations. Broadly speaking we're looking at 2cm to 5cm, but in more exposed areas we could see 10cm to 20cm.

“It will also be bitterly cold, with highs of 2C or 3C outside those snow showers. But the wind chill is going to make it feel sub-zero.”