Severe weather warning as 'snow bomb' is forecast for Wales and southern England tonight with up to four inches set to fall in three hours
- More than 1,000 Heathrow flights cancelled since the snow began four days ago, with 48 axed today
- Met Office says freezing conditions likely to continue until Thursday making conditions 'treacherous'
- Big Freeze gives way to Big Thaw on Friday, with warm winds from the South West sweeping country
- AA gets 1,100 call outs an hour and TomTom reports 2,973 congestion hotspots in UK during rush hour
- Eight ultra marathon runners forced to spend night on the Pennine Way due to terrible conditions
- Risk of flooding over weekend and into next week as heavy rain lashes the UK and snow melts
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A ‘snow bomb’ dumping up to four inches in just three hours tonight threatens further chaos in southern England as temperatures plunge to -4C.
South and east Wales, southern England and the Midlands will see the worst of the flurries, which will fall on top of snow still frozen after several days of cold weather - although London is expected to escape more falls overnight. Road, rail and plane problems are expected for a sixth day tomorrow.
At Heathrow, 48 flights were axed by this afternoon, taking total cancellations since Friday to 1,050. Rain and sleet is turning increasingly to snow this evening, with heavy snowfall continuing overnight. Temperatures dropped to as low as -12.2C last night in eastern and southern parts of England.
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Terraced: Houses sit under a blanket of freezing snow in the Lancashire town of Colne as low temperatures continue to grip Britain
Make way: A tractor clears snow covering a road besides fields near to Simonsbath on Exmoor. Snow and ice is continuing to cause disruption to some parts of the UK
Sweeping landscape: Snow covers fields near to Simonsbath on Exmoor. More snow is forecast for the South West
Risks: The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for snow and ice across Britain today, left, and tomorrow, right, with outbreaks of sleet or snow in south-west England and South Wales extending up to the Midlands later on. Up to four inches of snow is expected in amber warning areas
Ablaze: A car fire on a hill on the B3212 at Dartmoor, Devon. Its driver Matthew Shipton 21, from Callington, was driving home from his workplace at Bovey Castle after they let him finish four hours early due to the bad weather conditions
Winter wonderland: A white dove in fresh snow on Armstrong Bridge in Jesmond Dene, Newcastle, as the current freezing weather spell shows no sign of letting up
Gate: Snow covers fields near to Simonsbath on Exmoor. Snow and ice is continuing to cause disruption to some parts of the UK with more snow forecast for the South West
Footsteps: A man walks along a road in Holcombe in Somerset (left) and snow covers fields near to Simonsbath on Exmoor (right). Snow and ice is continuing to cause disruption to some parts of the UK with more snow forecast
Making their way through: A van drives along a road as snow falls on Exmoor (left) and residents clear snow on a road near Holcombe in Somerset (right)
Faster, Mum! Stephanie Koch pulls daughter Kadie, four, through the drifts in snowy Kielder, Northumberland, as wintry weather envelops the country
Ice breakers: Serpentine swimmers, including Rosie Temple (left) at Hyde Park in central London
Battered Britain will then face more chaos as the Big Freeze gives way to the Big Thaw on Friday, with warm winds from the south-west sweeping the country. Forecasters are worried that heavy rain and much milder weather could cause flooding, with the snow melting too fast on saturated ground.
ATTACK AFTER MAN URGES YOUTHS NOT TO THROW SNOWBALLS
A man attacked after urging youths not to throw snowballs at toddlers and elderly pedestrians may be scarred for life, police said today.
The victim, aged in his early 20s, required emergency treatment, including eight stitches, at a specialist clinic after suffering a serious ear injury in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.
Police said the victim was repeatedly punched in Mill Lane at about 3.25pm yesterday by a white youth who left the scene on a bus.
Pc Simeon Darrall-Jones of West Mercia Police said: 'This was clearly a nasty and unprovoked attack on a young man who was simply trying to prevent some elderly people getting injured.'
The weather front was dubbed a ‘snow bomb’ by forecasters British Weather Services - as it will dump a large amount of snow in a short time.
Eurostar said snow and ice in the UK and northern France were leading to speed restrictions and delays on all its trains. Six services were also cancelled, with customers told they could exchange their tickets for another date. South West Trains said it was running a revised timetable throughout its network.
Sat-nav company TomTom's data showed that during rush hour this morning there were 2,973 congestion hotspots across the UK causing a total of 2,822 miles of tailbacks and 307 hours of delays. The AA was receiving 1,100 call outs an hour as the icy weather continued to grip the country. As further snow, ice and hail had plagued motorists across the UK, the AA reported it had attended 14,400 breakdowns as of 2.30pm.
The Highways Agency warned drivers in the South West to take extra care on the roads this evening and overnight as further snow and rain, possibly turning to ice, is forecast. Action plans with police and councils were activated and extra resources including heavy vehicle recovery teams were in place.
High heights: A walker enjoying the snow near Middleton-in-Teesdale in County Durham after more heavy snow overnight
Icy: Dog walkers make their way past the frozen Serpentine Lake at Hardwick Country Park in County Durham (left and right) as they enjoy the scenes left behind by the harsh winter weather
Trekking: A dog walker battles her way through fierce gusts of wind and snow in a freezing Blairgowrie in Perthshire, Scotland, today
Shovelling and sledging: A man clears snow after heavy snowfall overnight in Auchterarder in Perth and Kinross, Scotland (left), while friends Andrew Hagan (left in right) and Dillon Lennox (right), both aged 11, enjoy the snow at the Stormont estate in Belfast
Playtime! Children pull sledges through the snow in Coupar Angus, Scotland, today as sleet, snow and ice continued to wreak havoc in Britain
No movement: A Railway engineer walks the line on track outside Belfast (left) as the winter weather continues across the UK and a snow-covered road is seen in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders (right)
Difficult for drivers: Motorists battle through the freezing fog on the A14 in St Ives, Cambridgeshire
Wrapped up warm: Sheep look for food in the Scottish Borders as snow showers hit the East of Scotland
Balancing act: A young lady enjoys the snow at Beacon Hill Woods near Shepton Mallet on the Mendip Hills in Somerset
Dead cold: A spooky zombie snowmen created by Jen Hutchinson crawls out of the ground in a disused graveyard in Bristol
Good grip: This picture of a snow bunny was posted on Twitter on Saturday by 'The Great Mudwar' of Carnoustie in Scotland, and has been retweeted 33 times
Good sport: Intrepid Mike Wrigley, 26, made quick work of his morning commute by snowboarding to his nearest train station in Mossley, Manchester
Storm swell: Gigantic waves crash into the coastline at the River Tyne's South Pier yesterday, as snow hits the mainland
Wet 'n' wild: The pier was overwhelmed by a stormy sea at the mouth of the river - with forecasters fearing flooding as the weather gets milder this weekend
Fuelling the problem: An oil tanker carrying 13,000 litres of diesel through Sandwich, Kent, sparked a pollution alert when it slipped off a snow-covered lane on to its side in a ditch
Dank and grey: Commuters walk to work along the banks of a snowy River Thames
Breathtaking view: Walkers survey the landscape across Gloucestershire towards the Forest of Dean from Crickley Hill Country Park
Moo-ve! Wardens make their way through a herd of belted cattle at Crickley Hill Country Park, Gloucestershire
SNOW CLOSES DRY SKI SLOPE
A dry ski slope in Wales was forced to close early today - because of snow.
Pontypool Ski Centre features all the hallmarks of the sport, including a 230-metre main slope, a beginners' area and a ski lift. But Torfaen Council chiefs announced that the facility, usually open until 9pm, was to close at 6pm.
Bosses decided that treacherous driving conditions for customers and staff as well as access for emergency services meant it would be too risky to stay open late.
Overnight temperatures plummeted to as low as -13C in Cambridge, -11.3C in Buckinghamshire and -10C at Stansted Airport. But they could soar to double figures on Friday and over the weekend.
It comes after a nine-day freeze that has closed schools and businesses, turned streets into ice rinks and thrown the UK's transport network into disarray.
An MP warned this morning that school closures caused by snow could damage children's education and bring down small businesses.
Graham Stuart, chairman of the Education Select Committee, said: 'Every unnecessary closure has an impact on the child in terms of lost education, wasted money for the State and a tremendous knock-on impact on businesses.
'We need to encourage a culture in which people anticipate the weather and they ensure that they get to work.'
Brian Lightman, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the decision whether to close a school was one for headteachers.
Community spirit: MailOnline reader Gillian McCallum sent us these pictures of Kirkmichael, Perthshire, which she said has already had 18 inches of snow. Tractor driver Ron Crichton is pictured (left) clearing snow outside the Kirkmichael village shop and the van of 'Roy the postman' is seen (right)
How very British: Gillian McCallum also sent MailOnline these pictures in Kirkmichael, Perthshire, of a snowy walk (left) and drinking tea next to the River Ardle (right)
Troubled waters: London landmark Tower Bridge is shrouded in fog today as Britain continues to struggle in cold and snowy weather
Is there light at the end of the tunnel? HMS Belfast looms out of the darkness this morning after the city woke up to another day of transport chaos and school closures
Snow queen: English ballerina Rebecca Sewell is pictured dancing in deep drifts in Barnet, north London
Blizzards: Thick snow causes chaos on one of the main roads into Scotland from Northumberland, which has been shut for nearly two days now
Big job: Ploughs attempt to clear the closed road at Carters Bar, Northumberland, and get traffic moving again
Battle: Record numbers of gritters and snow ploughs having been hitting streets including the border road near Scotland after days of extreme weather
Ice sculptures: A 4X4 is surrounded by mammoth snow drifts after inches fell overnight near Staindrop, County Durham, in sub-zero temperatures this morning
Stuck: A motorist works to clear his car from deep snow drifts in near Staindrop, County Durham after more heavy snow overnight
He said heads would often adapt a timetable in an effort to ensure schools could keep running with a reduced staff, and that closures were the last resort.
'We all know what sort of pressure teachers are under to get children prepared for exams. I understand parents' frustration but we don't take the decision to close lightly.'
His words came after a headmaster yesterday condemned ‘over-cautious’ colleagues for closing schools at the first sight of snow.
As more than 5,000 schools shut their doors to pupils, Martin Stott accused heads of ‘pressing the panic button too early’ and called on heads to show more ‘bulldog spirit’.
Ice ice baby: More very low temperatures are forecast in County Durham and beyond over the next few nights, before it turns warmer and wetter over the weekend
Gasp: A pair of walkers are impressed by the deep drift in Co Durham, left, while a brave few venture out in freezing fog in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, right
Follow my lead: Two men hop through the drifts near Staindrop, with the whole country covered by a white blanket
Extended holiday: Children in Durham and beyond built snowmen and went sledging again today, after hundreds of schools shut once again
Mr Stott, who runs The Old Hall preparatory school in Wellington, Shropshire, said: ‘Snow undoubtedly disrupts the normal routine but should it be brought to a grinding halt for all? Definitely not. I fear the panic button is in some cases being pressed too quickly.
‘By keeping school open I am helping to instil in my pupils an important life lesson. It helps to teach a tenacious approach to life. We need more of this British bulldog spirit that says we will do everything in our power to combat adversity.’
Hundreds of schools closed again today, with four inches of snow expected in parts of Scotland and northern England, a sprinkling in East Anglia and two inches in southern England this evening.
It is thought that some heads chose to close rather than open to half-full classrooms because of the damaging impact this might have on their absence records - but Education Secretary Michael Gove yesterday said schools would not be penalised for absences if they stayed open, and called on them to do ‘everything’ to remain open.
Totally rad: Surfers catch a ride on the first large swell of the New Year in Cornwall today
Brace yourself! Two Bodyboarders jump from the harbour wall at Porthleven, Cornwall, into the chilly Atlantic
Blustery: A surfer watches the waves in Cornwall before entering the water, as the severe weather finally hits the area
Westerly winds: Several schools in Cornwall closed and some delayed opening times as the county awoke to a thin layer of snow and ice
In some cases, parents were asked to bring shovels to help clear paths to enable them to open. But Rob Anthony, senior associate head at The Hewett School, Norwich, which was closed, told BBC News: ‘The most important thing is that we don’t want children or teachers getting injured. ’
The NASUWT union criticised the ‘hero headteacher’ approach adopted by those it said ‘shovel snow to seek to open the school, despite the conditions and warnings’.
Teenagers across the country were sitting exams yesterday as schools and colleges made valiant attempts to stay open despite the snowy conditions.
While the far south west of England had been largely untouched by the icy grip of winter until now, Cornwall experienced its first snow-based disruption of 2013 today.
After a thin layer of snowfall in many parts overnight, several schools delayed opening times to allow the roads to thaw and give teachers, staff and pupils safe access to the grounds.
A handful of schools in the exposed Bodmin Moor area decided against opening at all, as ungritted rural roads made it difficult for people to get in.
Hundreds more were closed in Wales, with the south east hardest hit, while more than 100 shut in Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Staffordshire.
Meanwhile, a church was left with a 'huge hole' after being struck by lightning.
Pillaton Church in Cornwall was hit yesterday evening during a 'tremendous thunderstorm', bell ringing captain Richard Warwick said.
Severe weather has affected many parts of the county, with drivers reporting treacherous ice on roads.
VIDEO Torfaen Council sends out a special message to residents
VIDEO Sonny the pony's first time in the snow - and he loves it
Commuters were warned to face another day of chaos on the UK's road and travel networks.
Passengers were facing a fifth day of travel chaos after poor visibility and disruptions in France and Belgium caused more cancellations at Heathrow airport this morning.
Despite clear runways at the capital's largest airport, almost 40 arrivals and departures have already been cancelled, with further disruption expected throughout the day.
A spokesman for Heathrow blamed snow and fog at airports in Paris and Brussels. He said the airport has drafted in an extra 180 staff to assist passengers and help them rebook flights.
More than 1,000 flights have now been axed at the airport since the snow began last Friday.
Gatwick also advertised delays on its website today.
Princess Anne cancelled her visit to Greater Manchester today after bad weather stopped her plane from taking off in the Home Counties.
The princess had been due to visit new health facilities in Bolton before heading to Hyde to open a new school.
But the visit was cancelled shortly before she had planned to arrive in Bolton after her plane was unable to take off from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.
She will reschedule the visits for later this year.
She will reschedule the visits for later this year.
Louis Mirabella's Lufthansa flight home to Berlin from London Heathrow this morning was cancelled.
Frozen solid: A walker crosses a snow-covered Whorlton Bridge, a wooden decked suspension bridge built in 1831 in County Durham
Snow joke: Monkeys from The Wales Ape and Monkey Sanctuary in Caehopkin, near Swansea, were given blankets to keep warm in the snow
Furry friends: Keepers at the sanctuary decided that cosy blankets were the best way to help the apes cope with the cold
After a five-day holiday, Mr Mirabella, 41, and his wife Marie will now have to wait until midday to discover if they are on a later flight back to Germany.
He said: 'As long as they get us on the next flight it will be okay. It does worry me though because there are still many problems at German airports and it looks very misty in the sky outside.
'They tell you nothing up until the very last minutes so we do not know what will happen.'
Londoner Robert Marks, 32, had to rearrange a business meeting after his morning flight to Berlin was cancelled. He has been promised a seat on the next Lufthansa flight at 2pm, but has rescheduled his meeting for tomorrow 'just in case'.
He said: 'I am a regular flyer and one thing I have learned is never to rely on the word of an airline. They tell me I will be leaving at 2pm, but they can't tell for sure what will happen between now and then. I do not want to miss the same meeting twice.'
Passengers were advised to check the status of their flights before travelling.
A spokesman for Heathrow said: 'We are not expecting anywhere near the same number of cancellations today as experienced yesterday and the days before. Runways are clear but low visibility and cancellations at other airports may cause flights to be delayed or cancelled.'
'Pick up only': A snowman attracted £8,100 on ebay, with the seller informing buyers that it was 'built yesterday' and was could not be delivered
Gatwick has written to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin MP, asking the Government to bring together London's three main airports to work out how they can avoid significant numbers of passengers being impacted by large numbers of pre-emptive flight cancellations at Heathrow due to snow.
Trains were also affected by the severe weather yesterday with many services cancelled, and the heavy snow closed two major roads across the Pennines.
The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings as rain falling on to frozen surfaces increases the risk of ice and has predicted sub-zero temperatures until Thursday for much of the country, which they say will make conditions 'treacherous'.
Forecasters are expecting a wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow today and severe weather warnings have been issued for the ice and snow everywhere, with amber warnings still in place for heavy snow across the higher ground of northeast England and eastern Scotland.
The heavens opened: A worker clears snow from around St Marys Church in Woodland, County Durham, after the refuge was almost buried overnight
A Met Office spokesman said: 'It will get stay quite frosty for the first half of this week but temperatures should be starting to get into double digits by Wednesday and Thursday.
'On Friday and Saturday, warmer westerly and south-westerly winds will bring a major change, with the possibility of a thaw.
'The rain is landing on melting snow and saturated ground so we are concerned about possible flooding over the weekend and into next week.
'Wet and windy weather will sweep the country, bringing heavy rain, possible localised flooding and temperatures of 10-11C.'
Freezing temperatures as low as -13C (9F) last night meant many parts of Britain were colder than Vladivostock, Siberia, which is experiencing temperatures of -9C (16F).
Cambridge was the coldest place in the UK last night, reaching -12.2C (10F), according to Met Office figures. It was followed by Andrewsfield in Essex (minus 11.1C/12F), Cavendish in Suffolk (-10.6C/12.9F), Rothamstead in Hertfordshire (-10.4C/13.2F) and Marham in Norfolk (-10.3C/13.4F). The warmest place was St Mary's in the Isles of Scilly, which reached 4.7C (40.4F).
A blizzard forced eight ultra marathon runners trying to complete the Pennine Way in a week to spend the night in rescue shelters, organisers said today.
The Spine Race competitors - trying to run 258 miles from Derbyshire to the Scottish Borders in the worst of the winter weather - were brought down from the terrible conditions in Northumberland National Park the next morning by mountain rescue experts.
Thick lying snow and a blizzard caused a group of three competitors to shelter for the night in a refuge hut near Lamb Hill in the Cheviots on Friday.
Fetch! Vanessa Milek with Bella the dog in Knaresborough, near Harrogate, following more snow in North Yorks
Snow blindness: A paper boy cycles through Huntly, Aberdeenshire, as a blizzard rages around him
The nine-day winter freeze is now thought to have caused 12 deaths around the country.
A 32-year-old woman died in a crash on the snow-hit A1 near Grantham, Lincolnshire on Friday.
Peter Carver, 89, is missing - feared dead - after leaving home in Taunton, Somerset, on Friday wearing slippers and without a coat or his medication.
Graham Clark, 73, died after apparently slipping on ice near in Suffolk last Tuesday, while school caretaker Brian Collins, believed to be in his 50s, died of a suspected heart attack while gritting a playground in Liverpool on Friday.
Postman John Bircham, of Dulverton, Somerset, yesterday died after apparently having a heart attack as he battled to free his van from a deep snowdrift.
No buggies on this golf course: People struggle with shovels on a course at Gleneagles after more snowfall today in Perthshire
Spades of fun: The group hike merrily through the stark white hills of Gleneagles after more snowfall today in Perthshire
James Hurst, 54, was found dead doors away from his home in Accrington, Lancashire, at 8am on Sunday after he slipped on ice and banged his head on a doorstep.
Bernadette Lee, 25, died after apparently collapsing in the snow on her way home in sub-zero temperatures after a night out. She was discovered in the front garden of the house next to her sister’s home by a man walking his dog on Sunday at 7.30am in Deal, Kent. There are reports she had no visible injuries and was found without a coat.
On Saturday, a 26-year-old woman was killed after her car skidded off the A40 North Way in Headington, Oxford.
A man died and another person was injured in snowy conditions when the car he was driving left the road and crashed into a tree on the A12 in Essex near Kelvedon shortly after 7pm last night.
Four people died in an avalanche as they descended Bidean Nam Bian in Glencoe on Saturday afternoon. Two others survived.
Slip and slide: Families make the most of the snow in Albert Village, Derbyshire, as the winter weather sweeps the UK
Mind your head: Children enjoy the snow day in Oldham, Greater Manchester - but emergency services have warned that many sledgers have recently suffered broken bones
Despite millions of children and young people having fun in the snow, there have been several unpleasant incidents.
A man was left permanently deaf and scarred after he was beaten up for trying to break up a snowball fight, police said today.
He challenged a group of youths who were throwing snowballs at each other - some of which were hitting elderly pedestrians.
He was punched several times, receiving a serious ear injury that needed emergency medical attention.
The victim, in his early 20s, was given eight stitches at a specialist facial clinic at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.
Police say he may also suffer some loss of hearing and permanent scarring as a result of the assault in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.
Officers are hunting a man in his late teens with dark short hair and a black bomber jacket following the attack at 3.35pm on Monday.
Officers are hunting a man in his late teens with dark short hair and a black bomber jacket following the attack at 3.35pm on Monday.
Teenager Liam Stafford remains critically ill in hospital after hitting a tree while sledging in Flatts Lane Country Park, Middlesbrough, at 1pm yesterday.
The 16-year-old was flown by the Great North East Air Ambulance to the James Cook University Hospital with head injuries.
Dangerous to travel: An overturned car on the A957 in Aberdeenshire with heavy snow and blizzards continuing to hit the north-east of Scotland
In a separate accident, a 40-year-old woman suffered a leg injury after falling from a fast-moving sledge in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire.
The Cleveland Search and Rescue Team treated the woman following the accident at 3.30pm on Sunday, before the Great North Air Ambulance airlifted her to the same hospital as Liam.
East of England Ambulance Service issued a warning after it was called out to attend at least a dozen sledging-related injuries, with some children and adults suffering broken bones or head injuries requiring hospital treatment.
London Fire Brigade told people to stay off the ice after being called to rescue two men who had fallen through frozen lakes to rescue their dog yesterday. Crews also rescued a child who was stuck on his sledge in the middle of a frozen lake.
Not over yet: TomTom Live Traffic warnings cover the country as the ice and snow stays firmly in place for another few days
A group of 20 children were lucky to be alive yesterday after their school bus slid off a road and down a 50ft embankment in treacherously icy conditions that have caused problems for millions of motorists across Britain.
Their careering vehicle was stopped by a tree hallway down a ravine near Caerphilly in South Wales, allowing the pupils, aged between eight and 12, to clamber away in a horrifying incident that left them 'shaken but uninjured'.
A driver in Dorset miraculously escaped unharmed after his car careered off a road, crashed through a fence and plunged 100ft down a steep hill into trees.
The 20-year-old motorist had to be cut free through his wrecked car roof after it skidded off the icy A353 near Osmington, Weymouth, yesterday evening.
The AA said it was expecting today to be one of the busiest days for call-outs this winter, at more than 17,000.
Goosebumps: Members of the Serpentine Swimming Club brave the icy water for an early morning dip in Hyde Park as temperatures hover around freezing
A driver was critically injured today after the wintery weather caused a ten-car smash on the main route into Plymouth, Devon.
The vehicles crashed into each other after skidding on ice on the A38 as the area was battered with lightning and hail. Several cars spun off the carriageway as they swerved to avoid the crash scene at around 5am.
Police say a 42-year-old motorist was taken to the city’s Derriford Hospital and remains in a critical condition.
Icy conditions forced the temporary closure of the northbound A38(M) Aston Expressway, which links Birmingham city centre with the M6, during this morning's rush-hour.
Traffic Wales said all major trunk roads were 'passable with care' this morning as snow fell and many areas awoke to sub-zero temperatures. The Caerphilly and Rhigos mountain roads closed in both directions, as did the A4107 and A4233.
Icy conditions forced the temporary closure of the northbound A38(M) Aston Expressway, which links Birmingham city centre with the M6, during the morning rush-hour.
The RAC said it had its busiest day for five years yesterday, and it was expecting an extra 2,500 breakdowns today, a 30 per cent increase to around 11,000 from its usual 8,500.
Spokesman Simon Williams said: 'Between 10am and 11am on Monday we dealt with 21 breakdowns a minute or one every three seconds, leading to our busiest day for five years.
'By noon today we had handled as many breakdowns as we would by 5pm on a normal winter's Tuesday as motorists struggled with the conditions. We expect to carry on experiencing a high volume of calls for help well into the evening.'
Meanwhile, others are having some fun with the extreme conditions.
Intrepid 26-year-old Mike Wrigley decided to speed through the streets of his village this morning by snowboard.
The electric technician made quick work of the roads of Mossley, Greater Manchester, which had been cut off after two days of snowfall, as other commuters trudged through the snow to the train station.
Fountain of frustration: Water spurts into the air after the cold weather has caused a water main pipe to burst at Goose Hill, Newbury, Berkshire
He said: 'I got plenty of funny looks but I thought "why not?". I’ve been snowboarding for years but I’ve never had the chance to give it a go so close to home.
'It was a bit of fun really but it certainly made my journey into work a lot easier - although I did have to carry my snowboard on the train into Manchester with me.'
Another prankster posted a snowman on auction website Ebay. The frozen figure - which has already attracted bids of more than £8,000 - was 'built yesterday' and is for 'pick up only'.
Lemurs at a zoo in Watchet, Somerset, found a crafty way to cope with the cold snap - by turning up the thermostat on their heater.
Staff at Tropiquaria Zoo were worried about how ring-tailed lemurs Devine, William, Katrina, Barry and Julien would cope in the freeze - but they were stunned to see the cheeky lemurs climb into a heater cage in their enclosure and turn the dial up from 12C to 21C, before draping themselves over it.
VIDEO Aerials over the UK. Snow blankets the South-East of England
VIDEO Surfers in Mullaghmore, Ireland, conquer the freezing waves
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2266394/UK-severe-weather-warning-issued-snow-bomb-forecast-Wales-southern-England-tonight.html#ixzz2IjqYoGg2
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