SUB-ZERO BLAST
UK weather: Met Office extends snow and ice warning as travel chaos erupts and bitter temperatures hit
Forecasters reveal how long cold snap will last
THE Met Office has extended its snow and ice warning with Brits warned to brace for a "bitter" cold snap.
Drivers have been warned of icy conditions after commuters woke up this morning to a sheet of frost on their cars and the roads.
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The Met Office has issued snow and ice yellow weather alerts for North East England, the East Midlands, the East of England, Yorkshire and parts of Scotland.
This warning will start at 5pm today and end at 11am on Friday - although could be extended as cold air from Scandinavia blasts the UK.
There is also a yellow weather warning in place for Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset until 4pm today.
Over 30 schools in Cornwall were closed on Thursday or opened late due to hazardous conditions.
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A further four in Devon were also shut.
The cold snap could see temperatures in the day drop to below freezing.
Forecasters say the bitter weather will continue for the rest of the week and into the weekend, with temperatures remaining in single figures.
And the mercury could plunge into minus figures overnight for much of the country.
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Met Office Chief Meteorologist Neil Armstrong said: “We’ve already seen snow settling in parts of eastern Scotland and northeastern England.
"As the cold air continues to spread across the UK we also expect to see some snow over the high ground of southwest England overnight tonight and through tomorrow.
“Snow showers will continue along the North Sea coast with a northeasterly air flow, leading to further accumulations over higher ground.
"Where the showers fall as rain there is a risk of icy patches forming overnight with temperatures widely dipping below freezing.
"A number of National Severe Weather Warnings have been issued and these are likely to be updated through the week so stay up to date with the forecast for your area.”
Snow has already settled in the North East of the UK and Scotland, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issuing its own warning.
The BBC reported that parts of the UK had their coldest November night since 2010, and that it was minus 8C at Aonach Mor in the Scottish Highlands.
Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said on Wednesday it had already recorded snow in eastern Scotland, Northumberland and Yorkshire.
Around 2cm of snow fell in some eastern coast areas and 5cm at Fylingdales on the North York Moors.
Looking ahead, the Met Office says the cold weather will likely continue into next week.
Transport is already being affected by snow showers, with the A169 on the North York Moors closed.
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The A75 from Gretna in Scotland has been shut off after a crash this morning.
As a result, the RAC has urged drivers to take care on the roads as snow and frost settles overnight.
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