HEAVY snow today has sparked an amber weather warning as forecasters warn of massive travel delays and power cuts.

The Met Office has issued warning from 3pm this afternoon, urging Brits to be aware that heavy snow will cause havoc in the hours that follow.

The warning covers parts of Scotland around Inverness and Aberdeen.

Meteorologists said travel delays are likely, as vehicles and passengers may become stranded by the heavy snowfall.

It also warned rail and air travel may be cancelled.

There is a high chance some rural communities could become cut off and power cuts are likely.

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Other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may also be affected.

It comes after the Met Office warned Brits are set to endure a -10 Arctic blast and eight inches of snow.

Much of the UK is today covered with yellow weather warnings for the wintery conditions – and it's only the beginning.

The wintry weather has seen pupils in icy cold areas like Cornwall, Scotland and Ireland told to stay at home in the warm.

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You can find a list of closures here.

Meanwhile, a double-decker bus full of passengers overturned in Somerset this morning in what police have described as a "major incident".

Cops said the vehicle flipped on its side amid "extremely icy and dangerous" conditions.

'ONLY TRAVEL WHERE ESSENTIAL'

Police had taken to Twitter earlier this morning to remind drivers to only get while behind the wheel if their travel was "essential".

The Avon and Somerset Police said: "We are advising people to only travel if essential due to icy driving conditions.

"If you do need to travel, we advise drivers to consider your: Fuel, oil, coolant and screen wash levels, tyre tread depth and air pressure, windscreen wiper blades and working electrics."

Superintendent Mark Runacres added: "We are advising the public to only travel where absolutely essential due to the treacherous driving conditions.

"If travel is necessary, we ask the public to take extreme caution and allow additional time to travel.

"We have seen a significantly higher number of road-related collisions and incidents in the past 12 hours, which has increased the demand on police resources.

"We are working with local authorities and National Highways to ensure roads are properly gritted ahead of the rush hour traffic to improve driving conditions."

BONE-CHILLING TEMPERATURES

Meanwhile, the mercury dipped to a bone-chilling -9.8C overnight.

The Met Office had warned it would be colder overnight with Scotland's Braemar expected to hit a freezing -10C, and much of the UK sitting between -5C and -7C.

And while the temperatures didn't drop that far, meteorologists said last night was the coldest so far this year.

The mercury hit -9.8C in Topcliffe, -8.7C in Eskdalemuir, -8.4C in Katesbridge, and -7.7C in Sennybridge.

Snow is also said to be blanketing parts of the UK this morning, closing roads and causing traffic chaos.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service took to social media to let commuters know the white stuff was causing havoc.

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It said: "We've had reports that vehicles are getting stuck in snow on the A39 at Trispen and A391 at Bugle.

"Please take extra care on the roads as driving conditions are hazardous. If necessary, pull over if it is unsafe to continue."

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