UK weather: Up to a foot of snow in just a few hours leads to travel chaos Northern England and Scotland blanketed with 15cm of snow today as Environment Agency warns of flood risks Sellafield nuclear site shuts down to prevent damage from weather Missing woman feared dead in Cornwall after her house collapses due to floods Mountain rescue team saved a family who had been stuck in their car in snow since 1am in Corwen, Wales Dozens of schools have been closed across the North and Midlands as roads are clogged with traffic Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifier against Russia postponed until tomorrow Food airlifted to Isle of Man after ferry services to island are cut off leading to possibility of shortages Emergency services responding to a surge in weather-related call-outs as amber weather warnings in place This weekend expected to be coldest in March for the past 50 years Britain was hit by half a foot of snow today, leading to chaos on the roads and widespread flooding - and the bad weather is set to get worse this weekend with six inches more falling overnight Parts of the UK received 15cm (6in) of snow today, and with temperatures falling as low as -3C (27F), the weekend is expected to be the coldest March weekend for more than 50 years. Up to a foot of snow is forecast to fall in areas such as the Pennines and North Wales overnight and into tomorrow. The chaos prompted safety fears after Sellafield nuclear site in Cumbria was forced to shut down operations as a precaution against the ongoing extreme weather. Embarrassing: A gritter slipped off the road near Kippen in Stirlingshire as the UK suffered from relentless snow Help arrives: A larger vehicle appeared at the scene to rescue the gritter from its predicament Scene of disaster: A bus came off the A875 near Killean in Stirlingshire, but no one was injured Perilous: The bus accident came as the area was hit with a devastating blizzard Rescue: An injured French fisherman being airlifted away from his boat by a Royal Navy crew Emergency services have seen a massive surge in weather-related call-outs, as officials issued a string of warnings urging the public to drive carefully - but cars, buses and even a council gritter were pictured sliding off the icy roads. A woman is missing and feared dead in Cornwall after her house collapsed following a landslip caused by devastating floods in the area. Another incident saw a pair of hikers airlifted from Mount Snowdon by helicopter after getting caught up in a sudden spate of bad weather. In another extreme case of how the snow has caused chaos, a mountain rescue team helped a man and two children today after they'd been stuck in their car in snow since 1am. Four members of Ogwen mountain rescue team set off in two Land Rovers and, aided by a snow blower, found the car on the A5104 north of Corwen, where there were drifts 8ft deep. Wintry weather in March: A suburban street in Liverpool covered in a blanket of snow today Disaster: A lorry jack-knifed on the icy roads while driving on the A66 in Cumbria this morning Canyon: A car drives on a road carved out of giant snow drifts in North Wales Battling the weather: A motorist turns around on the A66 while dragging a caravan after snow forces the road to close on today in Bowes The trio had been on their way home to Chester from Pembroke. The rescuers picked up a man from another car and drove them west to Betws-y-Coed from where they were able to get public transport to resume their journeys. The weekend will bring no respite from the freeze - it is forecast to be the coldest weekend in any March since 1962, and 30cm of snow is likely to fall in high areas with some snowfall as far south as London. Weather forecasters Meteogroup UK warned that tomorrow will see more snow drifts. A spokesman said: 'Saturday will be a bitterly cold and windy day across much of the UK with spells of snow, bringing further accumulations and drifting over high ground. Southern counties of England will see patchy rain or sleet whereas the West Country will have a relatively dry and mild day with some sunshine. Joy: Kerrie Easton was dressed in and surrounded by white at her wedding in Illingworth, Halifax Beaming bride: The newlywed did not let the cold weather put her off enjoying her big day Tranquillity: A white house at the edge of a snow-covered forest in Mold, North Wales Heavy: In areas such as North Wales, pictured, there was up to 15cm of snowfall with more on its way Tonight (Saturday night): Snow will begin to die out leaving many areas dry, although remaining rather cloudy and windy. North Sea coastal counties, Wales and the Midlands are likely to see further snow at times, however this should be mostly light and patchy. There will be a widespread frost, the risk of ice and drifting of snow over high ground. Sunday will offer a little respite from the horrendous weather, with the hope of some sunshine. The spokesman said: 'It will be another mostly cloudy day for many areas of Sunday, accompanied by fresh winds and a few snow showers, these mostly confined to eastern areas. Further west it will be dry with a few breaks in the cloud allowing for some sunshine in sheltered parts. Monday will see further light snow showers in eastern areas, although much of the UK will be dry but breezy with variable cloud. The best of any sunshine is likely across western Scotland. Collapse: A woman in Looe, Cornwall is missing after her house was destroyed in a landslip due to flooding Scenic: But the beautiful landscape in Cornwall was the scene of tragedy today A BT engineer works on a fallen phone line after the pole was knocked down near the village of Fintry in Stirlingshire after snowfall A spokesman for Sellafield, which is now a nuclear reprocessing site which no longer produces power, said that 'a site incident has been declared and the plants on the site have been moved to a controlled, safe, shut down state'. The company insisted: 'There is no reason to believe that there will be any off-site nuclear, environmental or conventional safety issues associated with the incident. The priority for the team is to protect our workforce, the community and the environment. The site later reopened, saying: 'Following on from a site incident being declared at Sellafield earlier today, we can now confirm that the site status has returned to normal. As a precautionary measure, the site emergency control centre will remain manned and operational to deal with any issues arising due to continuing adverse weather conditions. All plants remain in a steady, controlled, safe state and safe manning levels continue to be maintained. Disaster has struck the Isle of Man as ferry services were cancelled due to the weather, cutting off the island access to food supplies. More food is being airlifted to the island's 85,000 inhabitants by the Co-op, which has 10 stores there. Restraint: One man and his dog make their way down a roadside path in Yeadon, West Yorkshire Desperate: Wales and North-West England face the prospect of further snowfall this weekend Outward bound: Brothers Craig and Allan Ashe ride their bikes on the Carronvalley Mountain bike trail in Central Scotland Snowblind: A grumpy sheep caked in snow standing in a field in Cumbria A large number of roads have been closed thanks to the severe weather conditions. The Woodhead Pass on the A628 in the Peak District was closed in both directions at the request of South Yorkshire Police. The A66 was closed in both directions between A685 Brough in Cumbria and A1 at Scotch Corner at the request of the police due to the weather. Motorways and large roads suffering from heavy congestions include the M6 in Cumbria and Lancashire, the A34 in Staffordshire and the A53 in Derbyshire. Services around Carlisle have also been seriously delayed thanks to high winds. Leeds Bradford Airport, Lands End Airport and Belfast City Airport have all been closed and have cancelled the bulk of their flight. Major disruptions have also been reported at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, East Midlands Airport and Belfast International Airport. The firm is using a Hercules aircraft which will fly from Manchester to Ronaldsway Airport today. It will carry around 18 tonnes of food and drink, including meat, eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables, to stock the stores. Regional stores director John McNeill said: 'Everyone involved is going the extra mile and working very hard to ensure the flight goes ahead, despite the difficult weather conditions, and that we can continue to serve our Isle of Man customers.' The crew of a Royal Navy vessel was forced rushed to the aid of an injured French fisherman trapped by bad weather on the Irish Sea. Royal Navy Hydrographic survey vessel, HMS Echo, was carrying out maritime security operations when she received a request for assistance from Milford Haven Coastguard. The coastguard had already scrambled both an RAF search and rescue helicopter and an RNLI lifeboat to rescue the fisherman, but weather conditions were deteriorating fast. Once Echo was called in the 3,500 tonne ship attempted to provide some shelter for the RNLI lifeboat to get alongside the French fishing vessel, Alf, but once again the weather prevented a rescue. This left them with no choice but to escort the fishing vessel closer inland before the helicopter was able to winch the injured fisherman to safety. Torrential rain overnight caused a house in the Cornish town of Looe collapse, leaving one woman unaccounted for. Neighbours were evacuated after the front of building, which contains several flats, suddenly fell down the steep garden. One of the residents of the flats was unaccounted for this morning, leading to a search of the area by specialist fire teams using sniffer dogs. Susan Norman, believed to be in her 60s, is the only inhabitant who has not been located. It was initially unclear whether she was trapped within the rubble of the building or had simply left the area in the aftermath of the collapse. Neighbours said they heard 'windows popping' at the three-storey property under the pressure of a torrent of surface water which had been washed down the road behind the building, which is split into three flats. Intrepid: A cyclist in Nottingham does not let the snow deter him from getting on his bike Fun: Not everyone was inconvenienced by the snow, as this mother and child in Glasgow's Kelvingrove Park enjoyed the weather Playing: Two children in Roundhay Park in Leeds taking advantage of the snow Gridlock: This road in Leeds was plunged into chaos with long tailbacks due to the weather Wrapped up: A workman in Glasgow makes sure he is properly protected from the cold Craig Ashe (left) and his brother Allan Ashe from Carluke ride their bikes in the snow at the Carronvalley Mountain bike trail in Central Scotland after snowfall Police and fire crews are waiting for engineers to assess whether or not the building is safe enough for further searches. Police said thermal imaging cameras used to identify signs of life also proved inconclusive. Thousands of youngsters got a day off school as several hundred shut their doors. Helping out: Passers-by lend a hand to dig out a van in Flintshire which had got stuck Grounded: Gritters work to clear the runway at Leeds Bradford Airport, which was closed this morning Back in operation: A rare plane taking off from the airport in a heavy storm Emergency work: Traffic on the M1 in Nottinghamshire was moving slowly in treacherous conditions Inconvenience: The slippery streets of Pitsmoor, Sheffield after the overnight flurry of snow Town centre: Buckley in Flintshire, which was blanketed in snow Picturesque: A man walks through the snow in Buxton as spring stubbornly refused to arrive A number were closed across the Bradford and Huddersfield areas while in Derbyshire, dozens of schools, colleges and nurseries were also closed, as were several roads, mainly in the north of the county. Many schools in Nottinghamshire also shut their doors. Nearly 200 schools shut across weather-weary North Wales as a result of the heavy snow, including 61 in the Wrexham area. Flintshire was also badly affected, with almost all its schools closed. In the West Midlands, nearly 230 schools shut their doors to pupils, with many reporting burst pipes and frozen heating systems. Staffordshire was badly hit, with 170 closing, but there was also disruption in Walsall, Dudley and Wolverhampton. Police in Cumbria established a multi-agency 'Gold Group' to co-ordinate its response after 20 calls this morning asking for help after multiple crashes, impassable roads from trees falling, road signs blowing over and heavy snowfall. In Birmingham, weather woes caused gridlock after melting snow flooded the St Chad's Queensway tunnel, shutting the key road artery and leaving traffic backed up along main routes into the city centre. Trapped: A Porsche was stranded in Sidmouth, Devon while attempting to cross an impassable ford Undaunted: A farmer continues to drive his tractor through floodwater in Sutton, Cambridgeshire Crash: Another car span off the A625 road between Sheffield and Hathersage Treacherous: A car that span off the road in Harrogate was cordoned off by police Accident: A van lying upside down in a ditch after coming off the A515 near Hartington in Derbyshire VIDEO See overturned cars and lethal driving conditions in Derbyshire Accident: The road was closed in the aftermath of the incident in the snowy weather Clearance: A snow plough works to make the A66 safe for drivers this morning Invisible: These cars were struggling with conditions on the A66 before it was closed Contrast: One woman in Birmingham was wrapped up against the cold, but another was brave enough to jog Not quite ice cream weather yet: Scotland woke up to a blanket of snow today with reports of snowy conditions to continue throughout the next few days Engineers spent all morning trying to pump the water out of the tunnel. Northern Ireland is suffering particularly badly, with nearly 100,000 homes and businesses left without power overnight after debris and wind downed electricity lines and forced Belfast City Airport to close. The national football team's World Cup qualifying football match against Russia has become one of the biggest casualties of the snowstorm. The scheduled fixture at Windsor Park in Belfast tonight was postponed until tomorrow afternoon as a result of the wintry blast that has seen almost 100,000 homes and businesses lose electricity. Ground staff worked throughout the day in a bid to clear the pitch, but with the snow continuing to fall and the forecast remaining bleak, the Irish Football Association and Russian footballing authorities jointly agreed to the rescheduling. Engineers from Northern Ireland Electricity have managed to restore supply to around 58,000 customers but were still working to reconnect 40,000 who remained cut off. Huddling up: A flock of sheep near the village of Ae in Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland You're early! A group of spring lambs freezes outside near a farm in Tissington, Derbyshire Unexpected: The winter would usually be long gone by the time lambing season starts Chilly: An unhappy-looking cow with a frozen coat in Haworth, West Yorkshire One victim of the floods was a top-of-the-range Porsche which had to be abandoned at a river crossing after getting abandoned. The £86,000 sports car was attempting to ford the river Sid at Sidmouth in Devon when it got stuck in rising water. Having entered the ford, the driver found the other side impassable thanks to the imposition of the town's flood barrier, and had to be rescued by fire crews. Blizzard: Dog-walkers battle against white-out conditions in Liverpool's Calderstones Park Frozen: The Belfry Golf Course in Warwickshire looked unplayable on Friday Leeds Bradford International Airport earlier suspended all flights due to 'adverse weather conditions', telling passengers to contact airlines before attempting to fly. Storm: Motorists outside Aberdeen were having difficulty navigating the roads Landscape: The road near Tamworth in Staffordshire was showing the effects of the weather Elsewhere, a problem with lineside equipment caused disruption near Hatton in the West Midlands, with delays of up to 45 minutes between Birmingham/Stratford-upon-Avon and Leamington Spa. A tree blocking the line at Sandwell & Dudley in the West Midlands led to delays between Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street, while a signalling problem caused delays to trains passing through Ilkley station in West Yorkshire. Drivers had to contend with snow, strong winds and floods with a number of roads affected by fallen trees. There were strong winds on the M6 between Tebay and Carlisle in Cumbria, while elsewhere in the county there were hazardous driving conditions on the A66. Among major routes affected by snow were the A34 in Staffordshire, the A53 in Derbyshire and the M6 in Lancashire. Roads where trees had fallen included the A5 in Wrexham, North Wales, and the A374 at Torpoint in Cornwall. There were hazardous driving conditions on the the A711 in Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland. In West Sussex there was flooding on the A27 near Chichester, while flooding also hit the A35 at Dorchester in Dorset. On the railways, trees on the line led to delays of up to an hour on services around Shrewsbury, while in West Sussex there were delays of up to 50 minutes between Uckfield and East Grinstead due to a person being hit by a train. Widespread: This map from this afternoon shows the precipitation (rain or snow) over the UK Bleak: The scene in Chester on Friday morning in a photograph uploaded to Twitter Incongruous: Spring flowers trying to poke their heads through the snow in Ruthin, North Wales