A barrage of snow could leave parts of the UK "cut off" as rare freezing rain and plummeting temperatures cause travel chaos across the country.

Amber weather warnings by the Met Office covering large parts of the country took effect this evening, with fears of power outages as some areas risk being carpeted by 30cm of snowfall.

The white stuff has already started falling in the west of the country, with Bristol Airport suspending flights and several car crashes reported on the M5 - including an overturned vehicle.

The Pennines is expected to be among the worst-hit areas, while it is predicted there will be between 15-30cm of snow in Wales and the Peak District.

Forecasters have warned there is a "good chance" some areas could be cut off, while a Met Office spokesman confirmed temperatures plunged to -8.6C in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, overnight on Friday into Saturday.

The weather warnings last into Sunday and the said that more widely across the country, many areas can expect to see 3-7cm of snowfall. Snow could also mix with rain at times in lower-lying areas.

An amber for snow and rare freezing rain covering most of Wales and central England, including the Midlands and the North-west cities of Liverpool and Manchester, started at 6pm and lasts until noon on Sunday.

A second warning for snow, covering most of northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District, began at 9pm and lasts until midnight on Sunday.

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