More severe weather warnings for Shropshire as temperatures drop to -7C
New severe weather warnings for snow, ice and wind have been issued as freezing temperatures continue to grip the region.
The mercury dropped to -7C (19.4F) overnight in Shropshire and stayed at around -3C (26.6F) this morning as snow showers returned to the county for a third day.
And hundreds of homes were left without electricity for around an hour this morning due to a power cut in Shrewsbury.
About 750 properties in the SY2 area were affected by the fault which started at around 9.30am and was due to a problem with an underground cable, according to Western Power Distribution.
Gritters were out treating roads across Shropshire last night and will be sent out for the rest of the week, with severe weather forecast to continue until Sunday.
Meanwhile Bishop Hooper Primary School near Ludlow was closed due to the school's heating not working, while the county's transport network was struggling in this morning's icy conditions.
Church Stretton (Academy) has already announced it will not be opening on Thursday due to the weather. Also closed are Crickhowell High School and Ysgol Penmaes in Mid Wales.
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Dozens of trains have been cancelled or delayed due to urgent safety checks on Arriva Trains Wales' long-distance trains, while a three-car crash on the A5 caused long delays back past Telford on the M54 for drivers heading towards Shrewsbury.
However other parts of the country have been worse hit by the 'Beast from the East', with hundreds of schools closed and significant disruption on the road and rail network as a result of heavy snow in Scotland.
Although no weather warnings cover Shropshire or Mid Wales today, a snow alert covers the entire region from Wednesday morning until Friday evening.
The majority of Shropshire is covered by a yellow 'be aware' warning, while a more severe 'be prepared' amber alert is in place for the south of the county and parts of Mid Wales.
Thursday's warnings are for wind, snow and ice, Friday's are for snow and ice and Saturday's is for ice only.
The amber snow and ice warning, which reaches as far north as Church Stretton and Welshpool, is valid from midday on Thursday until 8am on Friday and says: "A spell of heavy snow is expected to move north across Southwest England and Wales through Thursday afternoon and evening.
"Some places could also see significant ice build up overnight into Friday.
"The snow is likely to be accompanied by strong easterly winds.
"Long delays and cancellations to public transport is expected, whilst some roads may become blocked by deep snow, stranding vehicles and passengers.
"Long interruptions to power supplies and other utilities are likely to occur."
In Scotland and Ireland a red weather warning - the highest possible - has been issued as forecasters warn of blizzard-like conditions.
Public Health England (PHE) has urged people to plan ahead to ensure they have enough food and medicine, while police across the country advised motorists to avoid driving if possible owing to poor visibility and treacherous conditions.
