Disruption to airports and traffic networks continue As more snow sweeps parts of the UK, but the cold snap could turn to into potential flooding later in the week.
Up to 10cm of snow is expected to fall this morning in parts of Scotland and northern England and a further 2cm in East Anglia, followed by around 6cm in southern England this evening, forecasters have predicted.
But Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said frost will be replaced by heavy rain which could cause flooding when combined with the melting snow.
“This weekend should see an end to the cold spell with temperatures slowly lifting as the winds swing around to the west or southwest,” she said.
“Some snow is likely as the first, in a series, of fronts sweeps during Friday, but this should turn to rain during Saturday.
“Further bands of rain and strong winds are set to follow. Heavy rain, plus melting snow, will bring a risk of flooding.”
The heavy snow and frost have so far claimed the lives of three people, including a postman who Royal Mail confirmed on Monday night died while carrying out his rounds during the weekend’s freezing temperatures.
John Bircham died on Saturday during his collection on Exmoor, Somerset, after 25 years of service as a postman.
Overnight temperatures plummeted to as low as -11.3 in Buckinghamshire, -10 at Stansted Airport and -9 at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk.
The Met Office said snow should become lighter from the south during Tuesday afternoon as winds also start to subside.
But it warned: “The public should be prepared for the risk of further disruption to travel, and the likelihood of road closures, as well as possible disruption to power supplies.”
Heathrow Airport has already warned passengers to expect cancellations and delays today and Gatwick has also advertised delays on its website.
A Heathrow spokesman said: “Because Heathrow runs at almost 100% capacity there is no slack in the system and flights unfortunately have to be cancelled.
“Further cancellations are inevitable given the adverse weather conditions at other airports around Europe.”
More than 200 flights were cancelled at Heathrow Airport on Monday, while other airports including Gatwick and Birmingham also experienced disruption.
The wintry conditions saw Robin Hood Airport near Doncaster closed, along with the runway at East Midlands Airport. Leeds Bradford Airport was also closed for a short period while snow was cleared.
Passengers were advised to check the status of their flights before travelling.
The cold weather led to thousands of children having an extra day off as hundreds of schools remained closed. In some cases, parents were asked to bring shovels to help clear paths to enable them to open.
The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings as rain falling on to frozen surfaces increases the risk of ice.
Meanwhile, yellow weather warnings are in place for ice and snow across parts of South Wales and western England, urging people to “be aware” of icy conditions.
The more severe amber warnings, advising members of the public to “be prepared”, remain in place for heavy snow across the higher ground of north-east England and eastern Scotland.
The far southwest of England had been left largely untouched as the rest of the country saw roads blocked, schools and businesses closed, and streets turned into makeshift ice rinks as winter tightened its icy grip last week.
But on Tuesday morning many parts of Cornwall reported snowfall overnight, with the council announcing that several schools had delayed opening times to allow the roads to thaw and giving teachers, staff and pupils safe access to the grounds.
A handful of schools in the exposed Bodmin Moor area of the county decided against opening at all, as reports of ungritted rural roads made it difficult for people to get in.
