Heavy snow swept across a large part of the UK as the country experienced its “first taste of winter.”
As per multiple outlets, the weather caused school closures, train delays and hazardous driving conditions.
The Met Office issued severe weather alerts for snow and bone-chilling temperatures across various regions.
These areas include northern Scotland, Northern Ireland, central and southern Wales and eastern regions from the Scottish Borders to Norfolk, with warning of possible hazards throughout this week.
Considering these situations, over 220 schools across the UK were closed, with around 140 closures in Wales.
The University of Derby also shuts its campuses in Chesterfield, Buxton and Leek due to the weather.
In the meantime, rail services also experienced significant delays and cancellations, affecting thousands of passengers.
Earlier, authorities urged drivers to follow a newly introduced, little-known recommended speed limit as these conditions are expected to last for 48 to 72 hours.
Simon Waye, technical engineer at ATS Euromaster, adviced, “When the roads are icy, they will inevitably be more slippery than usual, and braking distances can be 10 times more than on a dry road."
He added, “Highways England therefore advises to slow down and keep 10 times the normal recommended gap between you and the car in front. It also advises to drive particularly slowly around any bends."
Simon also urged citizens to de-ice their windscreen - which is a vital part of winter driving.
The Met Office reported 12 cm of snow in Watnall, Nottinghamshire, while Braemar, Aberdeenshire, recorded -11.2C, marking Scotland’s coldest early winter temperature since 1998.
