Blaenau Gwent

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By Rachel RussellBBC News

Heavy snow is set to fall overnight in parts of the UK, with warnings of treacherous conditions and motorists told to avoid travel unless necessary.

until Friday afternoon, from Stoke-on-Trent to Durham, North Wales and part of Northern Ireland .

Strong winds are also forecast, meaning possible blizzards and snow drifts.

Hundreds of schools across Wales, the West Midlands and northern England were closed on Thursday due to The Weather .

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said on Thursday evening: " In places covered by amber warnings, there will be very difficult, treacherous conditions.

" Ideally, avoid travelling in those periods - But if you have to head out then be aware that journeys could take significantly longer. "

There are yellow weather warnings for snow and ice covering large parts of the rest of the country.

BBC weather forecaster Billy Payne said The Most disruptive snow will be across North Wales , The Peak District, the Pennines and The Eastern side of Northern Ireland through the rest of Thursday, overnight and into Friday morning.

But He Said more sleet and snow could hit at the weekend.

Snowfalls of 18cm had already been recorded at Lake Vyrnwy in North Wales , He Said , with 5cm on lower ground in Nottingham.

Blizzard-like conditions could occur later as east to north-easterly winds come, causing snow drifts, particularly over High Ground .

" This could of course make travel more difficult with snow piling up more in some areas, " He Said .

He Said milder air is forecast for Sunday into Monday and a thaw will begin.

Amber weather warnings are issued when there is more chance of severe weather potentially causing disruption to Everyday Life , according to the

They are used to warn Of Travel delays on The Roads and railways, as well as power cuts.

People travelling on Thursday evening were warned to expect delays on both rail and road, with Travel South Yorkshire saying Public Transport was " severely disrupted across the region".

Merseyrail said The First trains on Friday will be cancelled due to The Weather conditions.

National Highways said it had closed the A66 between Bowes in County Durham and Brough in Cumbria in both directions, while the A628 Woodhead Pass in Derbyshire was closed in both directions for about 14 miles between Flouch, South Yorkshire , and Hollingworth, Greater Manchester .

Derbyshire County Council added it had closed six roads, with many minor roads also impassable.

National Highways in England issued a severe weather alert for snow in the North West , North East and Midlands until 08:00 GMT on Friday.

The wintry conditions have caused at least 270 schools to Shut In Wales So Far , affecting pupils in Denbigh, Flintshire, Powys, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen.

And in the West Midlands at least 250 schools closed, with hundreds more elsewhere shutting early on Thursday as the amber warnings came into force.

Flights were paused at Birmingham Airport earlier as workers cleared snow and ice from The Runway and East Midlands Airport was also forced to temporarily shut its runway.

Passengers are being advised to check with their airlines for The Most up-to-date flight information.

The RAC said there had been 50% more breakdowns than usual in the worst affected areas - with some drivers stuck in The Snow in parts of South Yorkshire and Wales.

Spokesman Rod Dennis said earlier on Thursday: " Rural routes through central and northern England covered by the Met Office 's amber weather warning are starting to get difficult to negotiate, and these are areas drivers should avoid if they can.

" Given The Weather , we recommend thinking carefully before setting out today as, with more snow forecast, things are likely to get worse on The Roads before they get better. "

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Source of news: bbc.com