SCHOOLS across the country have been forced to close today due to severe weather conditions at the weekend - and will likely remain shut on Tuesday.
The issue has affected schools in Derbyshire, Lancashire, the Midlands and other parts of the country due to dangerous and icy roads after Britain experienced it's coldest night of the year with plummeting temperatures as low as -10C,.
Weather warnings for ice are in force around the country, with drivers urged to take extra care when heading out.
It comes as wind gusts of almost 100mph caused transport disruption, power cuts and damage to buildings, while heavy snow led to lorries getting stuck and ploughs being used in a number of areas.
Northern Powergrid, the company responsible for the electricity distribution network across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, worked through the night to restore power to people affected as a result of Storm Arwen.
By 11pm on Sunday, the network operator restored power to around 208,000 of the 240,000 customers affected.
Read our weather live blog for the latest forecasts and updates...
Milica Cosic 9 minutes ago
TWO WEEKS more of snow
BRITS are brrrr-acing for a whopping two weeks of snow - with flurries on their way even for low ground in the south.
Storm Arwen lashed the country with blizzards and 100mph winds across the country as punters got trapped in pubs for days and flights were grounded hundreds of miles from their destinations.
There's plenty more weather misery to come as December begins, forecasters say.
Temperatures of -10C are on the way - and the Met Office has predicted snow in the UK almost every day for the next two weeks, including today.
Forecasters say we may even see a rare white Christmas as an Arctic blast holds the UK in its grip.
The mercury dipped to a bone-chilling -8.7C in Shap, Cumbria, last night, making it the coldest night of the season so far.
Milica Cosic 29 minutes ago
UK long range weather forecast December 14-28
Overall, through this period it is expected to be unsettled and changeable with milder and wetter than average conditions for most, bringing a risk of stormy conditions.
Perhaps turning more settled in southern regions for a time nearer the start of this period, which will increase the risk of frost and fog when skies clear overnight.
Temperatures on the milder side for much of this period, but some short lived colder spells are possible.
Milica Cosic 44 minutes ago
London and south east England weather forecast
Tuesday:
Cloudy, mild and breezy on Tuesday with patchy light rain and drizzle through the morning, turning more patchy into the afternoon. Chance of heavier rain in evening in far west. Maximum temperature 11C.
Milica Cosic 59 minutes ago
'I was left in a freezing home without power with my baby for DAYS'
A MUM with a seven-week-old baby was left without power or heating for days on end as temperatures plummeted.
Alissia Way said she begged for help after wrapping her children up in extra layers following a power cut caused by Storm Arwen.
It has now been three days since her electricity went out - and she is still waiting for it to be fixed.
Mum-of-three Alissia, who lives in Wrexham, North Wales, said: "I’m not happy because he [seven-week-old son Kaleb] is basically a newborn baby.
"And obviously there are other families with young babies and it’s not fair on them.
"All I want is for the kids to be warm."
She added: "I’ve had to put him in his coat and things like that, and we haven’t been able to sterilise his bottles properly."
Read more here.
Milica Cosic Today, 17:15
Brits to brace themselves for weeks of cold
Brits will be braced for weeks of cold conditions - as more snow is currently also forecast for December 13.
This means that snow could fall - potentially causing transport, schooling and travel issues - for the next fortnight.
Milica Cosic Today, 17:00
Snow made it's way today
Snow has blanketed much of Britain as the icy plunge took hold.
Scotland and north England bore the brunt of the chilly snap yesterday, but those in the south east woke up to a frosty Monday morning.
Temperatures plunged to a bone-chilling -8.7C in Shap, Cumbria, last night - making it the coldest night of the season so far.
And it is now feared snow could fall for two weeks straight, lasting well into December.
WX Charts show the wintery weather will continue next Friday affecting England, Scotland and Wales.
Milica Cosic Today, 16:45
It's beginning to look a lot like Xmas
BOOKIES have slashed the odds of a white Christmas this year as the UK is already covered in snow.
It may still be four weeks away but temperatures have plunged well below zero in the frosty aftermath of Storm Arwen - and there is more snow on the way.
Experts reckon people in Edinburgh have the best chance at seeing snow on Christmas Day, with odds of 3-1.
The Scottish capital is followed by Newcastle at 7-2, Belfast at 4-1 and Birmingham at 5-1.
London is 13-2 for snow on the big day, while Manchester goes 11-2.
Milica Cosic Today, 16:30
Insurers could be paying out ￡250million after the storm
The repair bill from Storm Arwen could cost insurers more than ￡250 million, according to an expert.
Mohammad Khan, general insurance leader at PwC UK, said on Monday: “Insurance companies have been fielding a high volume of calls over the weekend and today on Storm Arwen.
“Most of the calls have been in relation to home and car damage – predominantly home, however, as is usual with a major storm; the claims from businesses take longer to be reported and to assess.
“Based on the breadth of Storm Arwen and the damage seen so far, we estimate the insurance losses could be between ￡250 million to ￡300 million.
“Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis last year both had high wind speed but also featured significant flood losses as well.”
Milica Cosic Today, 16:15
Has your power been off for more than 24 hours? Find out your rights
The electricity distribution companies have 24 hours to restore electricity supply if it fails due to a storm.
If not, ￡70 should be paid to customers, with a further ￡70 to be paid for each additional period of 12 hours in which supply is not restored, up to a cap of ￡700.
For a severe storm, the amount you receive will be the same but won’t start until you’ve had 48 hours without power.
The difference between a storm and a severe storm is to do with the number of supply faults experienced in a 24-hour period.
For more information on the technical differences between the two, read the Ofgem power cut guidance.
Adriana Elgueta Today, 16:00
A golfer makes huge snow wheels
A golfer was left with huge snow wheels on his trolley as the course was left with a blanket of the white stuff after Storm Arwen.
The joker wheeled around his golf trolley picking up all the snow Credit: Triangle News
Dave Lee left his pals in hysterics as it built up as he pushed it along while the joker was then filmed as he continued the round at the Vale Royal Abbey Golf club in Norwich.
The wheels of the golf trolley carrying his clubs entered up with huge boulders of snow stuck to them as they end up ten times the size of them normally.
The group - made up 28 members of Ellesmere Port Golf Club, in Cheshire - were having a round yesterday.
Adriana Elgueta Today, 15:45
The stranded pub-goers reportedly having a great time
The Tann Hill Inn is completely snowed under Credit: SWNS
The manager of the Tan Hill Inn, Britain’s highest pub where customers have been snowed in since Friday, spoke to The Chris Moyles Show this morning.
Nicola Townsend said that the stranded customers had “really gelled” and some are having such a good time that they don’t want to leave. She also said the group are planning a reunion next year and that everyone has been “helping wash-up, collect glasses, clear tables, they've just all had a really good time.”
Nicola also joked she’d quite like to hear some Blur songs after being stranded with Oasis tribute act Noasis, who have been playing ‘acoustic bits around the pub’ for customers.
Adriana Elgueta Today, 15:30
Insurers could be paying out ￡250million after the storm
The repair bill from Storm Arwen could cost insurers more than ￡250 million, according to an expert.
Mohammad Khan, general insurance leader at PwC UK, said on Monday: "Insurance companies have been fielding a high volume of calls over the weekend and today on Storm Arwen.
"Most of the calls have been in relation to home and car damage - predominantly home, however, as is usual with a major storm; the claims from businesses take longer to be reported and to assess.
"Based on the breadth of Storm Arwen and the damage seen so far, we estimate the insurance losses could be between ￡250 million to ￡300 million.
"Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis last year both had high wind speed but also featured significant flood losses as well."
Adriana Elgueta Today, 15:15
A herd of sheep got LOST under mounds of snow for days - and were dug out ALIVE
The sheep at a Peak District farm got totally engulfed by the blizzards, reaching up to many feet high, this weekend.
A farmer at Herdwicks of Highfields farm said: "We started searching in the drift in front of the barn entrance. Prodding the drift every so often with our crooks. You can see how difficult the conditions were & how deep the sheep had become buried. Such a whirlwind of emotions, you have to dig deep literally and stay strong.
"First priority yesterday was checking the flock, 3 young rams were missing & could only find 6 ewes. My heart sank as fields, walls had been joined by drifts & gateways blocked. Ideal place for the sheep to take shelter. Droopsy emerging from there shelter spirits lifted."
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Adriana Elgueta Today, 15:00
Seals succumb to freezing temperatures on 'unprecedented' scale
Hundreds of seal pups have been killed at a nature reserve in the Scottish Borders during Storm Arwen.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) said it had never seen damage of such scale before.
It said that in a small area of bay at Pettico Wick there were 224 dead pups in the water with more washing ashore.
A further survey will be carried out on other colonies in the area but the NTS has said it "doesn't look good".
NTS said: "Unfortunately it appears we have lost the majority of our seal pups to this storm."
Adriana Elgueta Today, 14:45
Energy company issues statement after widespread power loss
A spokesperson for SP Energy Networks, who operate in Central and Southern Scotland, North Wales, Merseyside, Cheshire and North Shropshire, said: "Storm Arwen brought winds of over 90mph and, as a result, has caused some of the worst damage to our network we have experienced in over 15 years.
"Our engineers have been out working since Friday night to try to get power on as quickly and safely as possible, but it has been difficult as the damage across our network has been extensive, we've seen over 600 faults in Scotland and 700 in England and Wales. Since the beginning of the storm engineers have reconnected over 150,000 customers.
"In many areas, the damage has been severe due to fallen trees and other wind-blown debris and engineers are also dealing road closures and access challenges making some of our repairs even harder.
"The time it is taking us to get our customers back on is reflective of the number of faults and severity of the damage to the network."
The company apologised for the delay and add that in Scotland, 4,500 customers were affected in Borders, Dumfriesshire, Fife and Lothian and in England and Wales, 3,600 in Dee Valley, Oswestry, Mid Wales and North Wales.
Adriana Elgueta Today, 14:30
Freezing cold villagers still have no power after THREE DAYS
Harry Foster has had to resort to baked beans in the campervan all the power is his house is still off Credit: NNP
Freezing cold villagers have been left shivering without hot water or electricity for three days after Storm Arwen.
Households in Longhorsley, Northumberland, suffered a blackout on Friday night at around 8pm and are still waiting for power to be restored leaving elderly and vulnerable people battling the elements just to keep warm.
Harry Foster, 83, lives on his own and has breathing difficulties in the cold weather and said the conditions are the worst he has seen in 45 years.
The retired teacher said: "It's been three days now since we've had any power. I'm living in the van right now so I hope I'm okay for gas inside it.
"I do have a wood burner in the house and I've been keeping myself going. I've been running around trying to get logs which is tiring. My phone won't work because there's no signal and the phone in the house won't work because there's no power.
"I've had to rely on eating things like baked beans on toast in the campervan."
Adriana Elgueta Today, 14:15
Storm crushes caravans
Heart-breaking images show several static caravans completely destroyed by Storm Arwen at a holiday park.
And static caravan site was left in ruin after it was battered by Storm Arwen Credit: Deadline
At least 15 holiday homes at Berwick Holiday Park in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland were affected by the storm that battered the UK on Friday and Saturday.
One image shows the base of a 1.5 tonne caravan laying on its side after the walls and roof were blown away.
A bed and parts of the kitchen have remained in place on the base while a wardrobe has been tipped onto its side.
Another shocking image shows a caravan tipped onto its side and laying at a 90 degree angle while belongings lay strewn across the group.
Adriana Elgueta Today, 14:00
Has your power been off for more than 24 hours? Find out your rights
The electricity distribution companies have 24 hours to restore electricity supply if it fails due to a storm.
If not, ￡70 should be paid to customers, with a further ￡70 to be paid for each additional period of 12 hours in which supply is not restored, up to a cap of ￡700.
For a severe storm, the amount you receive will be the same but won’t start until you’ve had 48 hours without power.
The difference between a storm and a severe storm is to do with the number of supply faults experienced in a 24-hour period.
For more information on the technical differences between the two, read the Ofgem power cut guidance.
Adriana Elgueta Today, 13:45
There may be a silver lining to Storm Arwen – at least for wildlife
Storm Frank created grassy floodplains in Deeside, ideal for wader species like redshanks, when it struck in 2015 and the latest devastating weather may do likewise, say experts.
In Deeside, the storm caused severe flooding that destroyed homes and businesses but now, six years on, many birds which are facing challenges across the country are thriving in new habitats created by the disaster.
In the floodplain west of Braemar, the storm caused the River Quoich to permanently change its course and in the new the grassy floodplain, wader species like redshanks have found ideal habitats.
The wetter environments are good for invertebrates, which keep the birds well fed
Shaila Roa from the National Trust explained that if events as horrific as Storm Frank will become more frequent as a result of climate change, regions like the floodplain in the upper reaches of the Dee will prove crucial.
Adriana Elgueta Today, 13:30
Scottish schools urged to relax uniforms in freezing temperatures
Uniform policies should be relaxed in schools to allow pupils to stay warm if classroom windows and doors need to be opened for ventilation, Scotland's Education Secretary has said.
Speaking on a panel alongside the general secretary of the EIS teaching union, Larry Flanagan, the Education Secretary suggested opening windows and doors to help with the circulation of air.
Mr Flanagan said there had been "bonkers" cases where schools told teachers to keep windows closed because of concerns about the loss of heat and heating costs.
Reflecting on the review, Shirley-Anne Somerville said it found "very little remedial work that needed to be undertaken" but stressed that opening windows and doors would continue to be required despite the winter weather.
Adriana Elgueta Today, 13:10
Londoners take to the park despite froze and sub-zero temperatures
Hardy Londoners weren't shy of a bit of frost this morning as the mercury sunk to -1C.
Runners warm up in Richmond Park Credit: LNP
'Nordic walkers' enjoy a cold and frosty morning Credit: LNP
And a cup of hot coffee is all you need for these dogwalkers Credit: LNP
Adriana Elgueta Today, 12:50
Plumber makes disastrous ice prank and cracks his head off the ground
He ended up with a horrific cut to his head Credit: Deadline
Jesse Pygott filmed Liam Clarke attempting to slide smoothly across the fresh sheet of ice in Manchester in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The clip begins with 20-year-old Liam walking up a short path in black shorts and a Stone Island jacket before turning around to face the camera.
He then takes a short jog down the path onto some cobblestones and attempts to slide across the ice and back down to Jesse.
However, Liam, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, is stopped in his tracks when he hits the icy cobblestones and gets his foot caught. He then loses his balance on the slippery ground and ends up spinning around before tumbling to the ground.
His friend filmed the strange act Credit: Deadline
Adriana Elgueta Today, 12:30
Scots farmers suffer tens of thousands of pounds of Arwen damage
Early reports from members of NFU Scotland around the country indicate that the damage to some businesses is "substantial" with many still waiting on roads to open and power and telecommunications to be restored.
The list includes severe damage to buildings and structures, both large and small, including roofs, walls, cladding and polytunnels. It has also brought down large areas of trees, adding to the severe disruption.
One member has estimated that the structural damage to his business is approximately ￡70,000.
NFU Scotland President Martin Kennedy said: “From personal experience, I know how extreme the storm was. There will have been hundreds of trees blown down on our own estate near Aberfeldy and Sunday was spent helping clear roads and driveways to allow people access to and from their homes and get services into the area to reconnect electricity and telephone services.
Adriana Elgueta Today, 12:15
House and campervan destroyed by Storm Arwen
Their campervan was beyond repair Credit: Triangle News
Fran Coleman’s family had only lived in their home for seven months when gusts of near 100mph sent part of it toppling down with their campervan was parked at the side of their house at the time.
Bricks leading up to the roof were dislodged by the strong gusts of wind, causing a whole section of the wall to crumble.
The family of Seaham, Durham have been left heartbroken as their campervan is destroyed beyond repair.
The family will now have to scrap their beloved van but amazingly, a car parked next to the van was mostly unscathed by the shower of bricks.
A clump of bricks fells from the outer section of their house Credit: Triangle News
Adriana Elgueta Today, 12:00
Tops tips from the AA on driving safe in Storm Arwen aftermath
Give yourself time: Allow plenty of extra time for your journey, including time to de-ice the car. It may take longer but it also means that you will have full visibility which in bad weather is vital.
Don't be tempted to pour hot water over the screen - if has a chip the sudden change in temperature could lead to a crack. Best way is to use a scraper. And don't leave your car alone with the engine running, that's an invitation to thieves
Stay topped up: Top up the windscreen wash with a good quality additive to reduce the chance of freezing. Keep at least quarter of a tank of fuel - an accident or closed road up ahead is likely to result in long delays.
Choose your route: Check your route for accidents or closures before you leave and, if possible, favour roads which have been gritted.
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