Image copyright PA Image caption Traffic on the M80 between Glasgow and Stirling was brought to a standstill for several hours as emergency services worked to clear a series of accidents

A red alert for snow is in force for many of Scotland's most highly-populated areas as blizzard conditions left some motorists stranded for hours on roads in the central belt.

Trains, flights and many bus services in the affected areas have stopped.

Driving conditions are treacherous, and people have been told not to travel unless it is absolutely necessary.

The red warning of major disruption and potential risk to life will be in place until 10:00 on Thursday.

It covers Strathclyde, Lothian, Tayside, Fife and Central, as well as parts of south east Scotland and the Borders.

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf told BBC Scotland that the country was experiencing "unprecedented weather" with many people saying it was the worst snow they had ever seen.

Some gritters on the M80 and A720 were given a police escort to help them get through traffic to treat problem areas, with a series of minor accidents causing long tailbacks that left cars at a standstill for several hours.

One of those stuck on the M80 was Michael Blair, who said he had stopped for fuel at Old Inns, near Cumbernauld, at about 14:30 and had moved less than a mile in the four hours since.

Mr Blair, who was trying to get to Perthshire, said: "We have no idea how long we are going to be here."

The emergency services stopped any other vehicles going onto the road as they worked to clear the tailbacks.

Glasgow Airport will be closed to all flights until at least 11:00 on Thursday, with about 200 people said to still be inside the terminal on Wednesday evening.

Employers had been encouraged to send staff home early ahead of the red warning coming into effect at 15:00 on Wednesday.

It is the first time a red alert for snow has ever been issued in Scotland, and only the second time anywhere in the UK.

Image copyright University of Dundee Image caption A satellite image showed snow covering most of the UK

A red warning means extreme weather is expected, with people urged to take immediate action to keep themselves and others safe from the impact of the weather.

Widespread damage, travel and power disruption and risk to life is likely, and people must avoid dangerous areas and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities.

The warning came after the so-called Beast from the East caused major problems across most of Scotland earlier on Wednesday, with more than 1,600 schools shut and transport badly affected.

About 11cm (4in) of snow had fallen in the centre of Glasgow by lunchtime on Tuesday, with First Bus saying its services in the city and surrounding areas would stop by 16:00, while Lothian Buses stopped its services at 19:00.

Airport beds

The British Red Cross has used specially equipped 4x4 vehicles to supply bedding for people at Glasgow Airport in case passengers are stranded overnight.

Other airports, including Edinburgh and Aberdeen, have also seen disruption.

No trains will run on the West Coast Main Line between Scotland and England until at least lunchtime on Thursday, and the Forth Road Bridge has been closed to all traffic, with vehicles being diverted to the Queensferry Crossing.

And Glasgow's subway system closed at 19:00 to allow staff to go home.

Image caption Motorists have been told to only take to the roads if it is absolutely necessary

Image copyright Getty Images

The Met Office said: "Heavy snow showers and drifting of lying snow in the strong easterly winds will become more widespread across the area later on Wednesday afternoon, through the evening and overnight into Thursday.

"Roads will become blocked by deep snow, with many stranded vehicles and passengers. Long delays and cancellations on bus, rail and air travel are expected."

It also said some rural communities could become cut off for several day, and warned of the potential for long interruptions to power supplies and other services.

Mr Yousaf said the authorities were doing their best to get gritters to the worst affected areas, with emergency services ensuring that people stuck on roads such as the M80 had enough provisions.

Speaking to the Reporting Scotland programme, he said people had heeded warnings not to travel "to an extent", with traffic much lighter than would normally be the case and many employers being "extremely flexible" in allowing staff to go home early or work from home.

But he added: "I have seen HGVs that are carrying home furniture, stationery and piping. I am not convinced that is necessary, and a lot of the incidents we have seen have been caused by a loss of traction by HGVs, so not everybody has been listening or heeding that advice."

Mr Yousaf stressed: "The advice still remains - please avoid all travel not only if you are in the red warning area, but also if you are in the amber warning area which we know doesn't finish until Thursday at 6pm."

Image copyright PA Image caption About 11cm (4in) of snow has fallen in Glasgow

All 11 SPFL football matches scheduled for Wednesday evening have been cancelled.

More than 450,000 pupils were off school on Wednesday, with the vast majority to remain closed on Thursday. Parents should check their local council's website and social media pages for updates.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has said it is cancelling all routine elective procedures and outpatient appointments on Thursday because of the weather conditions, although emergency and essential elective procedures will still go ahead.

Image copyright @allanbarr Image caption Staff managed to clear the runway at Glasgow Airport briefly, but flights remain cancelled

Image caption Rail services have stopped in areas covered by the red warning

Several universities are also closed, including Glasgow, Strathclyde and Stirling.

About 27,000 homes in Aberdeenshire were left without power for less than an hour on Wednesday morning, but Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said this had not been due to the weather.

Virgin Trains said the route between Carlisle and Scotland is closed with no trains or replacement buses running, because of the weather.

Alternative rail routes between England and Scotland are also "severely disrupted".

What other red warnings have there been?

Image copyright PA

The current Met Office warning system came into force in 2011, after heavy snow in December of the previous year left motorists stranded overnight on the M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

This is the ninth red weather warning of any type for anywhere in the UK since then, and only the second ever red snow warning in the UK - and the first issued for snow in Scotland.

The last red warning was on 29 January 2016 for storm force winds across Orkney and Shetland

On 26 December 2015 a red alert for heavy rain was issued across Lancashire and Yorkshire.

5 December 2015 for heavy rain across parts of Cumbria and the Scottish Borders (Storm Desmond)

12 February 2014 for severe gales across Wales and northern England

18 January 2013 for snow in south Wales

7 July 2012 for rain in south west Devon and east Cornwall

3 January 2012 for storm force winds in the Central Belt of Scotland

8 December 2011 for severe gales in central and southern Scotland

Police Scotland also repeated its advice for people not to travel.

Ch Supt Stewart Carles, head of the force's road policing unit, said: "The warning covers the commuter periods both this evening and tomorrow morning.

"So we would ask people to think very carefully about making alternative arrangements for these times and to consider whether they really need to make that journey, particularly on the road network which may become overwhelmed as people leave work early to beat the storm.

"We'd urge employers to be as flexible as possible in terms of their staff perhaps not being able being able to come to their normal places of work and to consider alternatives."

Where to find the latest weather and travel information

Image copyright PA

For the latest on the roads visit listen live to BBC Radio Scotland . On Twitter follow @BBCTravelScot and @trafficscotland

Up to date forecasts can be found on the BBC Weather website

In times of severe disruption you can also follow the BBC Scotland severe weather Twitter list of key sources.

We have compiled a list of where you can find information on school closures.

Below are a number of other traffic information sources.

Other links

What the weather warning colours mean

Image copyright Bear NE Trunk Roads</s>The Met Office has issued a red alert weather warning for parts of south Wales and the south-west of England. The red alert stretches from north of Cardiff to south of Exeter from 3pm on Thursday to 2am on Friday. It states: “A spell of heavy snow and blizzard conditions is expected. The snow will be accompanied by very strong easterly winds, leading to severe drifting. “Some places could see significant ice build up due to freezing rain from later on Thursday evening, most likely in the south of the area. Long delays and cancellations of public transport seem highly likely.

“Some roads are likely to become blocked by deep snow, stranding vehicles and passengers. Long interruptions to power supplies and other utilities are very likely to occur, along with damage to trees and other structures due to heavy snow or ice.” It follows on from another red warning which had been issued for central Scotland until 10am on Thursday which brought up to 40cm of snow in some areas. Although the Scotland red alert has now expired, the Met Office amber warning, however, has been extended until 10am on Friday. A yellow weather warning is still live until 11.55pm today. A red warning is the highest level of weather warning issue by the Met Office.

Forecaster Craig Snell said: “The red warning is our highest tier, we don’t often see a red warning - the last one was back in 2016 up in Shetland and Orkney and that was for strong winds. “The last time we had the red snow warning was back in 2013 and that was for South Wales - they do not get issued that often.” He revealed a red warning for snow has never before been issued for Scotland, England or Northern Ireland. Amber snow warnings have also been issued for north-east England and the central belt of Scotland, in place between 10am and 8pm on Thursday.

An amber warning for snow and ice has been issued across south-west England and south Wales, which is in place for most of Thursday. On top of these, yellow snow warnings have been issued for vast swathes of southern, central, and northern England, Northern Ireland and Wales which is in place for most of Thursday. Met Éireann, Ireland’s meteorological service, has issued a red weather alert which is in place until 3pm on Friday. People are being told to stay indoors to sit out the worse blizzards which are due to sweep in from 4pm on Thursday.</s>Scotland’s weather is now so severe that there is a ‘likely’ risk to life, after the Met Office upgrading their weather warnings for snow to Red, the highest possible rating.

The Met Office stated: “Heavy snow showers and drifting of lying snow in the strong easterly winds will become more widespread across the area later on Wednesday afternoon, through the evening and overnight into Thursday.

“Roads will become blocked by deep snow, with many stranded vehicles and passengers. Long delays and cancellations on bus, rail and air travel are expected. Some communities could become cut off for several days. Long interruptions to power supplies and other services.”

It comes as hundreds of schools were closed and there was significant disruption on the road and rail network as a result of heavy snow in Scotland on Wednesday.

Police are urging people not to travel in the red and amber weather warning areas, which together cover much of the country.

The weather has led to the closure of the train route between Carlisle and Scotland, with other rail routes between England and Scotland also badly disrupted.

In addition to schools, some universities and nurseries have also been forced to close.

A number of football fixtures have also been postponed.

On the roads, a lorry came off the A90 at Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire and there have been several accidents elsewhere.

Part of the M74 northbound was closed due to “a number of vehicles losing traction”, although it was later reopened, Traffic Scotland said.

The Forth Road Bridge is closed while high winds and wintry showers are making driving conditions difficult on the Tay Road Bridge.

The A93 is shut at Braemar, while some B roads in the Banchory area are closed, as are the snow gates at Tomintoul.

Virgin Trains said the route between Carlisle and Scotland is closed, with no trains or replacement buses running.

Other rail routes between England and Scotland are also “severely disrupted”.

ScotRail advised customers on Wednesday morning not to travel in the Strathclyde area of the country due to the weather conditions.

The operator warned on its website: “Train services running across the whole ScotRail network will be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.”

The weather also affected flights, with Glasgow Airport suspending all services until lunchtime following heavy snowfall.

Stein Connelly, of Transport Scotland, told BBC Radio Scotland: “We’re seeing significant weather disruption on the network, we’ve got all our gritters out and ploughs working right throughout the day, right throughout the night, but we’re still seeing significant challenges.”

Pupils across the country are having a “snow day” with all schools shut in the East Dunbartonshire Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Falkirk Council, Fife Council, Scottish Borders Council, Stirling Council, and East Renfrewshire Council areas.

Glasgow City Council and Renfrewshire Council have closed all schools and nurseries for the day due to the weather, while West Lothian Council has also shut all schools.

In Aberdeenshire more than 120 schools are shut, while the University of Glasgow and Glasgow School of Art (both its Glasgow and Highlands and Islands campuses) are also closed due to the weather.

In the Highlands, there are at least 47 schools and 25 nurseries closed across the council area.

The SPFL announced that Wednesday night’s games in the Ladbrokes Premiership - Celtic v Dundee, Hibernian v Hamilton Academical, Motherwell v Aberdeen - have been posponed.

In addition to the red warning areas, the Met Office warnings for snow are cover many areas including Central, Tayside, Fife, Grampian, Highlands, Western Isles and Strathclyde.

The worst-affected areas could see up to 16in (40cm) of snow and a wind chill of minus 10C (14F).

Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said maximum temperatures on Wednesday would be barely above freezing, feel more like minus 10C (14F)once the wind chill factor is taken into account.

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said: “This is the first red warning that has been issued for snow under the current system which means that conditions in affected areas will be extremely treacherous.

“I would urge people to follow police advice and avoid travel in those areas affected by the red and amber warnings. We recognise it will have an impact on people travelling to and from work over the next 24 hours and so I would encourage employers to be as flexible as possible with their staff.

“If you need to travel, your journey is likely to be disrupted and in many instances there may be cancellations, there is the possibility you could be stranded and this could interfere with emergency services and those clearing the roads. I would urge parents to continue to check school notices with their local authorities before making any decisions on travel.

“In these severe conditions I would also encourage people where possible to check in with elderly neighbours or anyone who may be particularly vulnerable.

“Winter maintenance fleets are working 24/7 to treat the trunk road network and will be standing ready to assist motorists if required. We have more gritters available this year than ever before.</s>The red snow warning issued by the Met Office today is unusual, denoting a severe weather event will happen.

It is the first ever red snow warning for Scotland and the first snow warning issued anywhere in Britain for five years.

The last time a red snow warning was activated in the UK was for South Wales in January 2013.

This came as a succession of weather systems meeting cold air led to a period of significant snowfall causing disruption between January 18 and 25.

The heaviest snowfalls occurred across parts of South Wales, with around 10in (25cm) falling in some locations, but much of England and North Wales were also affected.

The three-tier warnings system came into use by the Met Office in 2011, and also include yellow for 'be aware' and amber for 'be prepared' (see below).

Today's is the ninth ever red warning of any sort – including wind and rain. The last red warning was in January 2016 for wind for Orkney and Shetland.

The Met Office definition of a red warning is that 'you should take action now to keep yourself and others safe from the impact of the weather. Widespread damage, travel and power disruption and risk to life is likely. You must avoid dangerous areas and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities'.</s>Plunging temperatures and treacherous winter conditions have prompted the Met Office to issue its highest weather warning for parts of the country today.

As arctic temperatures continue to sweep across the nation thanks to the biting 'Beast from the East', some areas are predicted to see the temperature drop as low as -12.

The coldest place in the UK was Farnborough, Hampshire, where the Met Office recorded temperatures of -8.9C overnight.

Weather warnings, including amber and red, are set to remain in place for most of today, continuing overnight and into Thursday morning.

But when does the Met Office issue the most serious red warning and how do forecasters advise you prepare?

A red weather alert warns of the most severe conditions, with the potential to seriously disrupt travel and day-to-day life.

The Met Office say their issuing of the highest weather alert means "extreme weather is expected".

It advises to ensure yourself and others are safe from the impact of such harsh condirions.

The Met Office explains: "Widespread damage, travel and power disruption and risk to life are likely.

"You must avoid dangerous areas and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities."

The Met Office issue red warnings when there is the potential for widespread disruption, and even a threat to life.

Severe conditions such as torrential and prolonged rain, deep snow and ice, along with plunging temperatures all have the potential to prompt the Met Office to issue a red warnning.

In cases of extreme rain, a red warning will be issued if conditions are likely to cause widespread or flash flooding.

Flooding has the potential to cause widespread structural damage to buildings and homes and fast flowing water can quickly become a threat to life.

In extreme cases of ice and snow, red warnings are issued if slips and falls could result in injury or even death.

Extreme gales can also prompt the Met Office to issue its highest weather alert, should high winds cause a threat to life from flying debris, or falling trees and power cables.

How to prepare for a red weather warning?

The Met Office firstly advise to take immediate action in preparing for a weather warning

They urge it is vital to begin ensuring your safety, along with the safety of others such as elderly or vulnerable neighbours.

They also urge anybody living in an area covered by a red warning to check updates from local authorities and emergency services.

People should avoid dangerous areas and only travel if absolutely necessary.

They also urge people to share any information of warnings or updates from emergency services with family and friends, encouraging the use of social media to spread warnings of local hazrads.

Checking updates for trains, buses and planes should be made before any travel is undertaken.

How many red weather warnings have been issued in the UK?

Since 2011, the Met Office have used an 'impact-based' weather warning system to issue alerts - meaning conditions and alerts are assessed on the basis of how much disruption extreme conditions could cause.

Today's weather warning marks the 9th ever red warning of any weather type since the new system was introduced seven years ago.

It has been recorded as Scotland's second ever red warning, and the country's first ever red warning for snow.

Where have red warnings been issued?

The Met Office has issued its highest level of alert for parts of Scotland with extreme weather expected between 3pm on Wednesday and 10am on Thursday.

It said: "Heavy snow showers and drifting of lying snow in the strong easterly winds will become more widespread across the area later on Wednesday afternoon, through the evening and overnight into Thursday.

"Roads will become blocked by deep snow, with many stranded vehicles and passengers. Long delays and cancellations on bus, rail and air travel are expected. Some communities could become cut off for several days. Long interruptions to power supplies and other services."

They predict some parts of Scotland could see snow cover of up to 40cm.

The warning currently covers Central, Tayside and Fife, South West Scotland, Lothian borders and Strathclyde.

Met Eireann have issued a Status Red weather warning for parts of Ireland.

The Irish weather body described the issuing of a red warning for snow as "rare".

They explained:"The issue of RED level severe weather warnings should be a comparatively rare event and implies that recipients take action to protect themselves and/or their properties; this could be by moving their families out of the danger zone temporarily."

Ireland's Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar tweeted: "We are facing an extraordinary weather event.

"I have instructed all of the machinery of the State to work together to keep 

 people safe. Be prepared in your homes, look out for vulnerable neighbours & 

 avoid unneccesary travel in red areas."</s>Scotland is “on the cusp” of extreme weather warnings today as the Beast from the East threatens more misery for commuters.

Up to 16 inches of snow was forecast in some areas.

And Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said an amber “be aware” warning could be upgraded to red, signalling treacherous conditions on the roads.

Very few parts of Scotland were expected to be spared the bone-chilling effects of the Siberian weather bomb.

Amber warnings are in force for tomorrow in Strathclyde, Lothian and Borders, Central, Tayside, Fife, Grampian, Highlands and south-west Scotland.

Yousaf said travel should be avoided in areas covered by the alert.

He added: “There is a potential that the amber warning could, in some areas, be upgraded to a red.

“It’s a warning for snow that we have never seen since the modern system has come into place in Scotland.

“We are on the strongest possible amber warning – and right on the cusp of potentially becoming a red.

“That means a likelihood of a high impact that could be just treacherous.”

All schools and nurseries in the East Renfrewshire and Falkirk council areas are closed tomorrow.

Schools in the Borders have been closed tomorrow and may remain shut on Thursday.

The TV forecaster tweeted: “For those of you in central and eastern Scotland that can work from home on Wednesday and Thursday, I would seriously consider it.”

The mercury plummeted to -8.5C in Altnaharra in the Highlands overnight, with snow and ice causing problems for drivers on some routes.

A handful of schools in Aberdeenshire were closed.

Deputy first minister John Swinney chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Team to ensure the country is prepared for the worst.

Tomorrow’s conditions were expected to bring disruption to the trains, planes and ferries.

The Met Office predicted 2-4in of snow will fall in eastern and central Scotland.

The wind chill factor will make it feel like -15C in some areas.

The chief forecaster’s assessment said: “Snow showers will bring variable snow cover, but parts of Scotland are expected to see the most frequent snow showers from this morning to Thursday afternoon.

“Where showers become organised, most likely across Scotland and over the hills of northern England, some places are likely to have an additional 15-25 cm of snow, locally as much as 40cm. Strong winds will lead to drifting of snow.”

The amber warnings are set to last until 6pm on Thursday, with the snow expected to extend further westwards to cover parts of Lanarkshire, Glasgow, Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire and Dunbartonshire.

Their guidance for Central, Tayside and Fife says there is potential for travel delays on roads, with the possibility of stranded vehicles and passengers and delays or cancellations to rail and air travel.

They added: “Some rural communities could become cut off. Power cuts may also occur and other services, such as mobile phones, may be affected.”

Police also warned road users to prepare for the worst.

Chief Superintendent Stewart Carle, head of road policing at Police Scotland, said yesterday: “I would urge drivers across Scotland to start to take extra care on the roads.

“Drivers should make sure they are prepared for their journey, with warm clothing, food and drink, sufficient fuel and a charged mobile phone.

“There could be significant traffic delays so please start to plan your journey now and consider if you really need to travel when conditions are poor.”</s>The Met Office has issued a rare red extreme weather alert - its highest warning level - urging people in parts of Scotland to take immediately action to stay safe amid life-threatening conditions.

Up to 40cm is expected through Central Tayside & Fife, South West Scotland and Lothian Borders, and Strathclyde as heavier snow falls through the day into Thursday morning.

Amber and yellow warnings are in place for other parts of the UK as blizzard conditions and freezing temperatures bring further misery for travellers on one of the coldest days in almost three decades.

There have been dozens of crashes on the roads and some routes have been shut, train services and flights have been disrupted, and over 1,000 schools have been closed, as heavy snow hammered the country for a third day.

With temperatures falling to -12C, Britain is shivering through its coldest late February since 1991 thanks to a blast of polar air from Siberia - dubbed the "Beast from the East".

More snow is on the way today and through the rest of the week, with Storm Emma set to batter Britain in the wake of the "Beast from the East".</s>The United Kingdom's weather agency issued its highest alert levels for severe weather in northern regions of the country on Wednesday as Arctic atmospheric conditions continued to bear down, causing widespread travel chaos and forcing the closure of hundreds of school.

The Met Office issued a red alert urging the public in parts of central Scotland around Edinburgh and Glasgow to take immediate action to remain safe amid forecasts of hazardous conditions with of up to 40 centimeters (16 inches) of snowfall in places and a strong easterly wind that could cause the snow to drift.</s>Snow alerts and weather warnings have been issued across the UK as the country faces the worst snowstorm in decades. Storm Emma which is passing to the south of the British Isles is whipping up tremendous winds, blizzards and “potentially life-threatening” conditions, Met Office forecasters have warned. The worst damage is expected in parts of southwest England and South Wales, where a red snow alert has been issued – the first ever for parts of England. Meteorologist Alex Deakin said now is the time to act and heed all warnings as Emma threatens to bring the country to a standstill with 50cm of snow.

The forecaster said: “We have a red warning that starts at 3pm today the first of March, continuing into the early hours of Friday morning for Southeast Wales and Southwest England. “It is in fact he first red snow warning we’ve issued for parts of England. “Red means take action. It means the weather is potentially life-threatening. Will it continue to snow tonight? The Met Office has so far issued six separate snow warnings across the UK, four of which are extended through to Friday March 2. The most severe red warning is valid between Thursday 3pm and 2am on Friday morning.

The Met Office said: “Widespread snow is expected to develop through Thursday afternoon and evening. “Around 10-20cm is likely to fall widely, with the potential for up to 30 to 50cm over parts of Dartmoor, Exmoor and parts of southeast Wales.” Towards midnight there is a chance of snow turning into freezing rain in places, making driving conditions “particularly dangerous”. As well as the red warning, almost all of the UK is under threat of snow and intense showers tonight.

The Met Office warning map above outlines the current weather warnings in effect. A yellow snow warning has been issued from Chelmsford up to northernmost Scotland and large swathes of Northern Ireland and is valid tonight until 11.55pm. Anywhere between 5cm and 15cm of snow could fall in this area. The entirety of South England and Wales is also on yellow alert, valid between 8am and 11.55pm tonight. The snow warning extends from Folkestone through to London, Oxford and ends just south of Bangor. Three amber warnings have also been issued for southeast Northern Ireland, from Bradford to northern Scotland and from the West Midlands through south west England and Wales.</s>Gale-force winds, heavy snow and bitterly cold temperatures will mark the arrival of Storm Emma.

A red 'severe weather' alert warning has been issued by the Met Office for part of Scotland this afternoon and into tomorrow morning.

Snowfall and sub-zero temperatures have already ground much of the UK to a halt with more than thousand schools closed Wednesday.

But windspeeds are expected to pick up and temperatures could plunge to an Arctic -15C with the arrival of Storm Emma with more weather warnings issued by the Met Office.

The cold snap will really bite today and into Thursday.

UK snow LIVE: Drivers stranded and over 1,000 schools closed after "danger to life" weather warnings following coldest day in 27 years

Bitter easterly winds from northern Scandinavia and north west of Russia will continue to cross the UK and even without the wind chill, values will struggle to edge above freezing during daytime and plunge significantly below zero overnight, with lows of -8C in places.

It could even drop to -14C in the Scottish Highlands.

A red weather warning is rare and means extreme weather is expected.

The Met Office say: "Red means you should take action now to keep yourself and others safe from the impact of the weather.

"Widespread damage, travel and power disruption and risk to life is likely. You must avoid dangerous areas and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities."

It is in place from 3pm today until 10am tomorrow.

A deluge of snow is expected on Thursday and Friday, as Storm Emma - named by the Portuguese Met Service - pushes into southern England from the continent.

This could lead to significantly disruptive snow across southern UK, while gales and freezing rain may pose additional major hazards.

Multiple amber and yellow weather warnings remain in place for the rest of the week for large parts of the country.

However, the arrival of the effects of Storm Emma will see temperatures starting to creep upwards with values eventually returning to near-normal levels in the south, but staying colder in northern areas.

Before then it’s time to batten down the hatches in preparation for the latest wintry blast.

Scotland will be one of the worst hit by the extreme weather. People in central Scotland have been advised to stay indoors from 3pm today until 10am tomorrow. Up to 40cm of snow could fall by mid-morning on Thursday with snowdrifts being considerably higher.

The Met Office say: "Heavy snow showers and drifting of lying snow in the strong easterly winds will become more widespread across the area later on Wednesday afternoon, through the evening and overnight into Thursday.

"Roads will become blocked by deep snow, with many stranded vehicles and passengers. Long delays and cancellations on bus, rail and air travel are expected.

"Some communities could become cut off for several days. Long interruptions to power supplies and other services."

Parts of Wales and western England could have 10-15cm of snow on the ground by the end of Friday. Freezing temperatures will make travel treacherous and an amber warning covers parts of the east Midlands.

The Met Office say: "A band of heavy snow showers will continue across the area well into this afternoon, with a further 5-10 cm of snow accumulating in a number of places, and locally 15 cm where snow showers are most frequent.

"Strong winds will lead to drifting of lying snow, along with severe wind chill, whilst lightning will be an additional hazard, particularly near coasts.

"The snow showers should ease later in the afternoon."

The south west will be one of the first areas hit by Storm Emma with gale-force winds and heavy snow causing blizzard-like conditions. The cold air will see a windchill of -10C in some places.
The Met Office issues its highest level warning, a red alert for parts of Scotland due to heavy snow. It is the first time a red alert has ever been issued in Scotland, and only the second time anywhere in the United Kingdom.