Sub-zero freeze grips Britain

Many woke to snow and icy conditions Monday morning after the arrival of an Arctic blast in the United Kingdom that sent temperatures plunging overnight.

And the cold spell is set to last as Monday marks the start of a sub-zero freeze that could persist until Friday, bringing lows of up to -11C.

The Met Office warned of travel chaos due to the treacherous conditions on the roads, with multiple crashes reported in Kent and complaints of 'crawling' traffic on sections of motorways such as the M25 and M6.

There were also reports of a 'landslide' on the South Western Railway network before a video emerged of what train operators said was actually 'liquified mud' bursting onto the tracks at Addlestone in Surrey, causing severe delays.

Thameslink, Gatwick Express and Southern Rail also reported trains running at reduced speeds due to flooding caused by heavy rain, with passengers urged to 'allow extra time' for their journeys.  The northern parts of Wales and Scotland and the south-east and north of England were expected to see the most snow, with it falling in Kent, Northumberland, Carlisle and Falkirk.

A yellow warning for snow and ice across parts of Northern Ireland, north-west England and North Wales will be in place from 12pm on Monday until 12pm on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, heavy rainfall has caused flooding in York, where pictures taken overnight showed homes, pubs and businesses along the River Ouse pumping out water after becoming partially submerged. And water rescue crews were ferrying employees at the Woolsbridge Industrial Estate in Wimborne, Bournemouth, to and from their buildings by boat following flooding.

There were also downpours in parts of Dorset and Essex, with roads experiencing deep flood water and cars pictured almost fully submerged.  While the heavens opened above London, too, the capital has so far missed out on any snow action. The city will see highs of 5C on Monday before dropping to 0C by 10pm and to -2C for most of Tuesday morning.

The Met Office predicted snow would fall between 2am and 8am on Monday in the south of England, where temperatures will be on average no higher than 4C today, before dropping to as low as -5C overnight and into Tuesday.

There was travel chaos in Kent on Monday as drivers were forced to battle blizzards, with multiple crashes on the M20, M25 and M26 and several vehicles said to have been 'in hedges' after struggling to with the icy roads.

The likes of Manchester and Leeds are also experiencing very low temperatures, before the mercury drops to 0C and -2C overnight respectively.

Northerners, too, have seen travel affected by the 'treacherous' conditions, with crashes on the M6 and M60 causing congestion.