UK weather - live updates: Snow and severe winds to hit Britain as Amsterdam Airport cancels all flights

Yellow 'be aware' warnings issued for wind as gusts reach over 80mph

Met Office forecast: Thursday 18 January

Drivers have been warned to only travel if necessary as severe gales and snow showers bring travel disruption to much of the UK.

Almost all rush-hour trains to London Waterloo, Britain's busiest station, were either cancelled or delayed, and many rail lines across the country were blocked by fallen trees and debris.

A yellow warning for snow and ice has been issued for northern England, Northern Ireland and parts of southern and central Scotland.

Follow the latest updates on the severe weather and travel disruption below

Poor weather conditions are also affecting railways in the Midlands, with overhead electric wires damaged between Wolverhampton and Stafford.

Passengers are being warned to expect delays to and from Manchester Piccadilly, between Birmingham New Street and Crewe, through Birmingham New Street and between Birmingham New Street and Redditch.

On Wednesday, persistent snow and ice caused treacherous driving conditions and brought the M74 in Scotland to a standstill, but Traffic Scotland said there were no significant incidents on the roads for rush hour traffic and traffic on the M74 was "coping well".

During the night, Police Scotland issued a "stage four" warning, advising drivers to avoid travelling on roads in areas covered by amber snow warnings.

This was later downgraded to stage three to warn motorists of a "high risk of disruption" during the morning.

Key Points

• National Rail reports widespread delays as trains collide with fallen trees
• Winds were so severe overnight they blew the roof off a house
• Almost all rush-hour trains to London Waterloo were either cancelled or delayed
• Amsterdam Airport cancels all flights due to severe storms
• Further snow and ice warnings expected tonight
• Wolf escapes from sanctuary after winds blow down fence

[18 January 2018 12:16 · Samuel Osborne]

Blustery showers will give us a chilly afternoon, but we should also get lots of sunshine in the east, the Met Office has said.

[18 January 2018 12:30 · Samuel Osborne]

Further snow and ice warnings are expected to be issued for north-west England, Northern Ireland and western Scotland, Ollie Claydon, a forecaster at the Met Office, told The Independent.

"We saw some very strong winds last night, but the worst of the strongest winds have now moved away. Some impacts are still being felt in terms of travel disruption and some power networks are out as well," he said.

"There will possibly be an ice warning for Wales and the Midlands tonight."

[18 January 2018 12:37 · Samuel Osborne]

At least two people have been killed in separate wind-related accidents as a powerful storm lashes the Netherlands, Dutch police say. 

A 62-year-old man was killed after being hit in the face by a falling tree branch and a 62-year-old man died after a falling tree hit his car. 

[18 January 2018 12:50 · Samuel Osborne]

A yellow weather warning for ice has been issued for parts of northeast England and southeast Scotland from later this afternoon.

[18 January 2018 13:00 · Samuel Osborne]

A wolf is on the loose in Reading after heavy winds blew down a fence at a wolf conservation sanctuary. 

Police have warned the public not to approach the wolf if they see it. 

[18 January 2018 13:26 · Samuel Osborne]

 Video shows a lorry sliding on ice before crashing into several cars and a fence near Glasgow. 

[18 January 2018 14:20 · Samuel Osborne]

A falling tree has killed a 59-year-old man at a camping site near the Dutch-German border as a gusty storm lashed parts of Europe.

[18 January 2018 14:55 · Samuel Osborne]

Germany's national rail network has suspended all long-distance rail services across Germany due to the storm which is pummeling northern Europe.

[18 January 2018 15:24 · Samuel Osborne]

A powerful storm has pummeled northern Europe with high winds and snow, killing at least four people in three countries, grounding flights, halting trains, ripping roofs off buildings and flipping over trucks. 

Falling trees killed two 62-year-old men in the Netherlands, a woman south of the Belgian capital of Brussels and a 59-year-old man at a camping site in the German town of Emmerich, near the Dutch border. 

[18 January 2018 15:48 · Samuel Osborne]

It turns out the wolf who was thought to have escaped from a wildlife sanctuary after wind blew down a fence may have actually been released on purpose.

The 12-year-old male wolf, named Torak, has since been captured, the UK Wolf Conservation Trust said. 

Teresa Palmer, who founded the trust, said: "When I got to the front of the enclosure I found that the gate was open. I think somebody deliberately opened the gate.

"A lot of people don't particularly believe in having animals in captivity."