UK weather: trains in Wales disrupted by flooding as snow and rain hit UK – as it happened

This live blog is now closed

We're pausing our coverage now. Here is a summary of the day's developments so far":

Up to 25cm of snow is forecast in parts of England and Wales on Thursday, as the Met Office issued weather alerts and warned of disruption to travel. Amber weather warnings for snow have been issued for parts of northern England and north Wales, while a mixture of yellow rain and snow warnings will be in force across the four nations, PA Media reports.

The Met Office said strong and gusty easterly winds may lead to some drifting in places", and that 10-15cm of snow is expected quite widely across the warning area. A separate amber warning for snow and ice will be in place between 8am and 3pm on Thursday across north Wales and north-west Shropshire, with 20-25cm of snow forecast in areas above 200 metres.

Flooding between Swindon and Chippenham has blocked some railway lines, with disruption expected until 2pm. As a result, trains running between these stations may be cancelled or delayed by up to 45 minutes.

An amber weather warning means travel delays on roads are likely; public transport vehicles and cars could be stranded; power cuts are possible; and some rural communities could be cut off temporarily. In the area covered by the snow and ice warning, the Met Office said untreated pavements and cycle paths could be impassable, PA reports. Met Office meteorologist Amy Bokota said an easterly wind meant that places inland and higher up" were likely to see the most snow.

The train company ScotRail has warned passengers to take extra caution while travelling today. It tweeted: A yellow Met Office weather warning is in place for snow and ice from 18:00 today, until 15:00 tomorrow. This covers southern Scotland, up to and including Perth and Dundee. Please take extra care when travelling and keep up to date with your journey using our app or website."

Further yellow snow and ice warnings cover southern and central Scotland from 6pm on Thursday to 3pm on Friday, and from 10am on Thursday until 6pm on Friday in Northern Ireland. The Met Office said up to 8cm of snow could fall in Northern Ireland and up to 10cm in parts of Scotland, with 1-3cm more widely in both regions. Another yellow warning for snow and ice is in place in northern Scotland from 4pm on Wednesday to 10am on Thursday, PA reports.