Parts of Devon wake up to a blanket of snow

Parts of Devon woke up to a blanket of snow today after night in which some areas experienced blizzard conditions.

The Met Office said more snow was possible throughout the morning and issued an amber warning for the South West.

In Wales a rare red warning was issued and forecasters predicted falls of between 20cm and 30cm.

Overnight in Devon driving conditions were treacherous in some areas because of the snow combined with strong winds but in Exeter it rained through much of the night.

This morning the A35 was closed in both directions between the A35 King's Road junction in Honiton and the B3165 Scott's Lane junction in Charmouth, because of snow and a jackknifed lorry.

The A303 was also closed in both directions between Newcott and Horton, because of an accident involving two vehicles.

Meanwhile, Haldon Hill was reported to be down to one lane on both carriageways.

Devon County Counci dispatched additional gritters overnight and tractors were out wth ploughs in Okehampton and Haldon Hill.

No major problems have been reported and most roads are passable however, Devon and Cornwall Police advised motorists to travel only if necessary and to allow extra time.

This morning Exeter College was open as usual and there were no reported problems on roads in the city.

f snow, heavy in places, will spread northeastwards across Wales and the southwestern half of England, during Friday morning, lasting through the afternoon and evening across much of Wales, the Midlands, southern and parts of southeast England. Winds will strengthen, leading to drifting of lying snow.

Many parts of the Red Warning area are likely to have 20-30 cm of snow with strong southeasterly winds causing blizzards, severe drifting of lying snow and thus severe disruption. The public should avoid all non-essential journeys. Elsewhere, accumulations of more than 5-10 cm of snow will occur quite widely, with 15 cm in some western parts of the Amber area, falling within 3-6 hours. The public should be prepared for disruption, including altering travel plans.