Snow, ice and severe cold cause disruption as motorists are forced to abandon their vehicles in Sheffield after getting stuck.
Severe weather alerts have been issued across Britain with the Met Office warning of dangerous conditions caused by snowfall, heavy rain and extreme cold.
The Met Office says there is a 90% chance of severe cold, ice and snow in some areas of England between today and the New Year.
Yellow weather alerts are in place in the East Midlands, theWest Midlands, London and the South East of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland’s South West, Wales and across several other regions.
he cold weather alert issued by the Met Office warns conditions could “increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services”.
The wild weather has already caused travel disruption on the roads, railway and at UK airports.
Motoriss were forced to abandon their vehicles after becoming stuck in snow in Sheffield.
Traffic was backed up on the Prince of Wales Road in the early hours of the morning with some motorists reporting four-hour tailbacks.
Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport and Leeds Bradford International Airport in Yorkshire were forced to close their runways while snow was cleared.
Four flights into Liverpool from Malta, Berlin and Bucharest had to be diverted to Manchester Airport on Boxing Day.
A fifth flight from the Isle of Man returned to the island’s airport as the Merseyside hub was closed for more than an hour while its runway was cleared.
A spokesman for John Lennon Airport said the airport has re-opened, but warned there may be further disruption.
“We have had quite a deluge here,” he said.
A notice on the Leeds Bradford International Airport website said: “As a result of adverse weather conditions, Leeds Bradford International Airport is presently closed.
“We recommend you contact your airline or tour operator and check the status of your flight before arriving at the airport.”
East Midlands Airport is also advising passengers to contact their airlines after disruptions to services.
Christmas night was the coldest of the year so far, with -8.5Crecorded at Braemar in Aberdeenshire.
Temperatures could also drop as low as -10C in some places at the start of next week.
Leek, near the Peak District in Staffordshire, has seenthe worst of the snowfall with four inches falling, according to the Met Office.
Cranwell in Lincolnshire also saw almost three inches of snow.
Sky’s Weather Presenter Jo Wheeler said: “Snowfall has been most prevalent through parts of northern England and the Midlands, and this is at risk of freezing and causing further problems for travellers.
“Advice is not to leave home if at all possible as driving conditions are dangerous in many parts.”
More than 100,000 homes were left with power shortages as the snow damaged electricity cables.
A Western Power Distribution spokesman said 36,000 customers were left without power and another 69,000 had short interruptions to supplies.
Staff worked through the night to reconnect customers, but around 3,000 in the East Midlands were still affected, he added.
Police warned of hazardous conditions last night, especially in Staffordshire and Cheshire, with several roads made impassable.
Staffordshire Police tweeted: “Reports of difficult road conditions across Staffordshire due to snow, Please only travel tonight if necessary.”
Cheshire Police added: “Roads around Delamere/Frodsham looking quite treacherous due to weather, Please drive with care.”
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “As winter weather grips some areas of the country we would advise people intending to travel to check weather and local conditions before they set out.
“The Highways Agency and local highway authorities across the country are working hard to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum.”
