UK Snow: Britain To Be Battered With More Freezing Weather Woe (PICTURES)

Fresh Snow Falls On Frozen Britain

Fresh snow has fallen across many parts of Britain, compounding disruption to schools, airports and traffic networks.

Up to 9cm (3.5in) has already fallen in some of the worst affected areas, including southern England, south-west England, the West Midlands and Wales.

A snow plough goes to work in Somerset

The severe weather has already caused havoc up and down the country this week with hundreds of schools closed, dozens of flights cancelled and many train networks disrupted.

Severe weather has forced the closure of hundreds of schools across Wales for a second day running.

Once again, the eastern region and South Wales valleys areas have been hardest hit but snow-related disruption has spread further west.

Northern Scotland and northern England also had a further snowfall of around 2cm (0.8in).

The snow is expected to ease throughout the day when it will become confined to south Wales and south-west England.

11-year-old George Burton in a snow shark in Derbyshire

6-year-old Tyler Burton in the snow shark

Nick Prebble, a forecaster for MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said the white stuff will fall on already frozen snow in many areas.

He said: "There will more disruption to come today no doubt with reports that up to 9cms (3.5in) have already fallen in Hampshire and around seven in the Midlands, Hereford, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

"The snow will ease through the day for most areas, but with a further 3cms (1.2in) expected later in the day for south Wales and parts of south-west England.

"While tomorrow is expected to be mainly dry, we are predicting a major snow event again on Friday with up to 10cms (3.9in) possible in some areas."

A snow plough and gritter, clears snow on the roads

But he added that the weekend and next week should be much milder, without the risk of snow.

The Met Office has amber warnings in place in south west England and Wales, urging the public to take extra care against freezing temperatures, ice and snow.

A woman pulls a child in a sledge along the snow on Hampstead Heath in London

Yellow warnings highlighting a risk of disruption to transport affect all but northern Scotland in the UK.

Thirty people were forced to abandon their cars in Somerset and spend the night in a shelter when snow rendered a road impassable, police have said.

A pedestrian makes her way through the snow

Drivers and passengers became stranded around 1am on the A39 between Bridgwater and Williton in Somerset when a build up of snow and fallen tress blocked their path.

Avon and Somerset Police transported the men and women by four-by-fours to a local fire station in the village of Nether Stowey to serve hot drinks to the group.

Police Force Incident Manager Adam Crockford said officers then worked with Sedgemoor County Council to locate a local councillor, who provided a key to open the village hall where the stranded motorists spent the night.

Inspector Crockford said the local council and Highways Agency will begin work to clear the road at daylight so the drivers and passengers can continue their journeys.

Snow in Northumberland

Devon and Cornwall Police are investigating whether a fatal crash yesterday morning may have occurred because of icy conditions.

Police confirmed that a 42-year-old local man died following the two-vehicle collision on the A38 Parkway in Plymouth - one of the region's busiest roads - shortly before 6am.

It resulted in the road being closed for 10 hours.

Temperatures hovered around freezing point in much of the UK overnight but dipped to minus 6.1C (21F) in Shap, Cumbria and minus 4.2C (24F) in north-west Scotland.

Yesterday Heathrow was forced to cancel around 40 flights while several hundred Welsh schools were closed as snow continued to disrupt work and travel across the country.

Large pockets of Cornwall experienced their first snow-based disruption of 2013 yesterday, as many awoke to a thin layer, which closed several schools in remote rural areas.

Residents of Hagg Hill Farm, near Winlaton, Gateshead, take advantage of the snow to show their artistic side

Icy conditions forced the temporary closure of the northbound A38(M) Aston Expressway, which links Birmingham city centre with the M6, during the morning's rush-hour.

More than 100 schools were closed in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Staffordshire.

Readers Snowmen

Readers' Snowmen

Tributes were paid yesterday to postman John Bircham, who collapsed as he approached the end of his deliveries in and around the Somerset down of Dulverton on Saturday.

It is understood that the 57-year-old father of two was towed out of a snowdrift by a farmer before collapsing soon afterwards.

A woman found dead in a garden early on Sunday is believed to have collapsed in the snow after a night out.

Kent Police are investigating the cause of death but there have been reports that she had no visible injuries and was found without a coat.

A car fire on a hill on the B3212 at Dartmoor, Devon

A man was killed in another weather-related incident when the car he was driving left the road and crashed into a tree on the A12 in Essex on Sunday evening.

In Accrington, Lancashire after a night out, James Hurst fell over after he had been dropped off by taxi following an evening at a local pub on Saturday and suffered a fatal head injury.

It came after four people died in an avalanche as they descended Bidean Nam Bian in Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands on Saturday afternoon. A further two people survived.

A light dusting is all that remains after overnight snowfall in Princetown, Dartmoor

Elsewhere, teenager Liam Stafford, 16, remains critically ill in hospital after hitting a tree while sledging in Flatts Lane Country Park, Normanby, Middlesbrough, on Sunday afternoon.

Thirty people were forced to abandon their cars and spend the night in a shelter when snow rendered a road impassable, police have said.

Drivers and passengers became stranded around 1am on the A39 between Bridgwater and Williton in Somerset when a build up of snow and fallen tress blocked their path.

Avon and Somerset Police transported the men and women by four-by-fours to a local fire station in the village of Nether Stowey to serve hot drinks to the group.

Police Force Incident Manager Adam Crockford said officers then worked with Sedgemoor County Council to locate a local councillor, who provided a key to open the village hall where the stranded motorists spent the night.

Inspector Crockford said the local council and Highways Agency will begin work to clear the road at daylight so the drivers and passengers can continue their journeys.

He said: "At about 1am we became aware that about 30 people were stuck on a road that was impassable, primarily because of snow but also because of fallen trees.

"Officers from different districts in 4x4s were first on the scene to help.

"We asked the local fire station to open up and serve hot drinks and spoke with the council and identified a key holder for a nearby village hall.

"It was a group effort by the emergency services and a bit of community spirit."

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