Winter conditions across the UK have caused widespread disruption to travel and led to the closure of more than 200 schools; Forecasters warned that more snow and ice were on the way.

The Met Office has issued four new yellow weather warnings for snow and ice, warning of further impact on motorists, public transport, possible power outages and rural areas being cut.

One of the warnings covers south Wales until midnight on Tuesday, while another affects northern Scotland until 10am on Wednesday.

A third warning is in place along the east coast of Scotland and England, stretching from Berwickshire to Suffolk, from 6pm on Tuesday until noon on Wednesday.

A further warning covers Northern Ireland from 18:00 on Tuesday until 10:00 on Wednesday.

The Met Office has warned that up to 10cm of snow could accumulate in the worst-hit areas as the country continues to experience its “first taste of winter”.

Met Office chief meteorologist Neil Armstrong said: “As cold Arctic air becomes firmly established over the UK, wintry dangers are likely to persist for much of this week and further updates to warnings are likely in the coming days.

“The current focus for the upcoming risk of snow and ice is from later Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday, with snow showers likely to move off the windswept coasts to the north and east and also drift into parts of Northern Ireland and Wales.

“More than 10cm of snow is possible on higher ground in warning areas, with 1-2cm likely to settle at lower levels, which has the potential to cause some disruption to travel.

“Ice is an additional hazard and is likely to form rapidly on untreated surfaces.”

Sub-zero temperatures were seen across much of the UK on Monday night, with a low of -11.2C in Braemar in Aberdeenshire.

Snowfall was also widely reported, with 12cm of snowfall recorded at Watnall in Nottinghamshire on Tuesday morning.

As of Tuesday afternoon, around 140 schools were reported to be closed in Wales; 50 of these were in the West Midlands and 20 in Derbyshire.

Thousands of train passengers suffered travel misery after the National Railways issued a disruption warning on various routes.

According to punctuality and reliability website trains.im, by midday on Tuesday, around 64 (53%) of a total of 120 services scheduled by East Midlands Railway had been canceled or delayed by at least half an hour.

Other operators’ figures include London North Eastern Railway (37%), Transport for Wales (13%), West Midlands Trains (13%) and CrossCountry (12%).

Travelers are advised to check local rail apps or social media and plan their journeys in advance.

Check the weather forecast in your area

Drivers were also warned to drive carefully and plan their journeys.

Darren Clark, from National Highways, said: “Grid crews will treat our roads at all hours of the day when ice or snow is forecast, but it is still important to drive appropriately to the conditions.

“Keep your distance and reduce your speed because even under seemingly normal conditions and where snow has not settled, it can be slippery if ice patches have formed or fresh sand has not been worked into the main road.

“Riders should plan their trip, monitor weather reports and prepare a snow kit with blankets, food, water and shovels.”

The first yellow cold health warning of the season has been issued by the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) until 18:00 on Saturday, covering all of England except the south.

According to the UKHSA, a yellow alert is issued when the weather is likely to “cause significant impacts on health and social care services”.

This includes the potential for increased deaths, especially among the elderly or those with underlying health conditions.

UKHSA’s head of extreme events and health protection, Dr. Agostinho Sousa said: “It is vital to check on vulnerable friends, family and neighbors to make sure they are well prepared for the onset of cold weather. Especially if they are elderly or elderly, otherwise the risk increases.”

Meanwhile, yellow health alerts, the second lowest alert level, are also in place for the South East, South West and London.

More expected in the coming days

The Met Office has warned of the potential for further “dangers” with heavy rain, strong winds and more snow forecast as temperatures fall and remain below average for the rest of the week

“Further snow accumulation is expected in exposed areas in northern Scotland and elsewhere throughout the week, mostly at low levels at night,” it said.

Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said: “It’s going to be a very cold week. Day and night are a few degrees below average for most of the country.”

‘Light chance’ communities could be cut

People in affected areas have been told that power outages are possible and mobile phone coverage may be affected.

The Met Office said there was a “small chance” some rural communities could be disconnected.

People were also warned to be careful not to slip or fall on icy surfaces.

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‘Life threatening’

Cold weather brings not only disruption but also risks to life, a charity has warned.

Age UK director Caroline Abrahams said it was understandable that some older people felt they needed to cut back on food and turn off their heating systems due to high energy bills and food prices, “but long-term exposure to cold weather can have a serious impact on older people’s health, especially those who already have if they are trying to manage diseases”.

“Cold increases blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attack or stroke, and breathing in cold air can also increase the risk and impact of serious diseases such as flu and pneumonia.”

Ms Abrahams said it was “vital” for older people to stay “fit, warm and well if possible” throughout the day by eating hot food and drink, dressing warmly and sleeping with the windows closed.