UK weather latest: Deluge of snow and sub-zero temperatures prompts flight cancellations and car crashes

Heavy snowfall expected to continue and cripple Britain's transport network

Cars travel through Great Chart in Ashford, Kent, following heavy overnight snowfall (PA)

Dozens of flights have been cancelled at Heathrow Airport and police have reported car crashes across the country as heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures cause widespread travel disruption.

Roads across the UK have already seen a blanketing of snow, creating treacherous driving conditions and blocked routes, with the wintry weather set to continue for several days.

Highways England said the M20 in Kent had become blocked by several stranded lorries overnight, while the A249 was shut due to a crash. Lincolnshire Police said they were already dealing with five collisions by 6.30am on Tuesday.

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Areas around Harrogate and Craven were also particularly treacherous, according to North Yorkshire Police.

The Met Office said several centimetres of snow had fallen in some parts over the night after a Siberian weather front dubbed the “beast from the east” swept through Europe and into the UK. There was 4cm (1.5 inches) of snow in Newcastle and Northumberland by 5am on Tuesday and 1cm in Kent.

Heavy showers were expected to continue throughout the morning and cripple much of the country’s travel network.

British Airways cancelled dozens of flights from Heathrow on Tuesday, after cutting 68 short-haul flights – mainly to and from the same airport – on Monday. EasyJet said it is expecting disruption to some of its flights and has advised customers to check before they travel.

Merseyside Police urged people to take care while driving, and said the force had received reports of a crash on the M62 just before junction 5.

North West Motorway Police said officers were on the scene of a crash on the M6 eastbound at junction 5 after a car span across all three lanes and hit a tree.

Trains have also been affected by the snowfall, with cancellations and disruptions on lines across the country.

Southeastern, which operates in Kent, has cut dozens of trains, including several to London St Pancras, London Victoria and Cannon Street, while other companies affected include Southern, Greater Anglia and Great Northern.

Some schools were expected to close.

Amber warnings for snow are in place for the south-east and north-east of England and the East Midlands until midday, while a yellow warning covering much of the country is in force until midnight.

Forecasters are predicting between 5cm and 10cm (2 to 4 inches) of snow will fall on most areas of the UK, with up to 40cm (15 inches) possible for higher grounds in Scotland.

Met Office meteorologist Emma Sillitoe said: “During the rush hour there will still be some really heavy showers around, making their way towards London.

“There will also be further disruption throughout the day as these showers become widespread across the country.”

Temperatures plummeted to -5C in the capital overnight, and the mercury will struggle to get much above freezing during the day.

Conditions are not likely to improve for several days, with forecasters warning that snow will continue well into the week.

An amber snow warning is in place for the north-east England and Scotland from 6am on Wednesday to 12pm on Thursday, with up to 40cm (15 inches) of snow expected to fall during that period.

“Some rural communities could become cut off,” the Met Office warning states. ”Power cuts may also occur and other services, such as mobile phones, may be affected.”

Forecaster Frank Saunders said parts of the country could see their “coldest spell of weather since at least 2013, and possibly since 1991”.

It is expected that the mercury could plummet to -15C by midweek where there is snow on the ground, rivalling temperatures forecast for parts of northern Norway and Iceland.

From Thursday, forecasters predict that another weather system, Storm Emma, will bring blizzards, gales and sleet as it meets the chilly “beast from the east” later this week.

The storm, named by the Portuguese Met Service, will move north through Europe and is due to hit the UK on Thursday and Friday, and will be “significantly disruptive”, bringing the risk of power cuts and transport delays.