School closures and travel delays as Arctic air brings snow and sleet to parts of the UK

LONDON (AP) — Dozens of schools closed and road and train travel ground to a halt in many parts of the U.K. on Tuesday as a cold snap brought snow, ice and sleet across the country.

Britain's weather forecasters, the Met Office, issued snow and ice warnings and said an Arctic maritime air mass was spreading from the northern U.K. southwards. Power cuts may occur and rural areas could be cut off due to the severe weather, it said.

Around 200 schools across the U.K. closed their gates, the BBC and the Guardian reported, while thousands of commuters faced disruption to their journeys as dozens of train services were cancelled or delayed by snow on the tracks.

The Met Office said up to 5 centimeters (2 inches) of snow is likely to blanket many parts of the country, with up to 20 centimeters expected to accumulate at higher altitudes.

The UK Health Security Agency issued its first cold weather health alert of the season, saying conditions could be dangerous for elderly and other vulnerable people.