A hare searches for food in a snow-covered Rutland field

The Midlands and the north of England were experiencing the worst conditions, with forecasters predicting 10cm of snow on the higher grounds.

Strong winds and snow were forecast for parts of Northern England, North Wales, Southern Scotland and Northern Ireland Wednesday evening, according to the BBC Weather Centre.

And it predicted that colder weather would return this weekend after rain and milder weather in the next few days.

The snow started to fall on Tuesday - officially the first day of Spring - and temperatures as low as -1C were recorded in Exmoor with wind chill making it feel between -6C and -8C.

By Wednesday, following blizzards and heavy rainfall overnight, the conditions were even worse.

Seven-foot drifts

In Shropshire, snowdrifts up to seven feet deep were reported in some areas.

More than 20 schools in the region were closed because of the snow and police said many areas were treacherous, although most main routes were passable.

In Combe in Teignhead, near Newton Abbot, a woman had to be rescued from her home after overnight flooding.

A number of landslides were reported in Devon and 11 rivers in and around the area were on flood watch.

Wales has also been badly hit with 166 primary and secondary schools across the country closed.

In North Wales, drivers in the Holywell area of Flintshire were being advised to stick to main roads after many country lanes were cut off by heavy snow fall.

In Aberystwyth, high winds blew a roof off a house and there were a number of minor road accidents on the M4 in South Wales.

On Tuesday, workers were sent home from the Ebbw Vale steelworks as conditions on the roads deteriorated.

Fatal

Drivers across the country were being warned to take extra care.

A spokeswoman for the RAC advised drivers to use major roads, as they are more likely to have been gritted.

"We advise people to clear the ice off their car properly before they drive. They shouldn't just scrape a small hole to see through. This can be very dangerous indeed, and is, in fact, illegal," she said.

"They should also make sure they have their fog lights on if the weather is very bad and remember that snow and ice dramatically affect stopping distances.

"Even a thin smattering of ice can be fatal."