Simon King
Presenter and meteorologist, BBC Weather

Earlier I mentioned that Storm Goretti is developing rapidly in the Atlantic. In meteorology we have terms for this - explosive cyclogenesis and "weather bomb".

The criteria to use these terms is for the central pressure of a storm to drop by more than 24 millibars in 24 hours.

For Goretti, we’ll see a pressure drop of 36 millibars in the 24 hours from 18:00 Wednesday to 18:00 Thursday. Therefore, meeting the "weather bomb" definition.

But, what does this actually mean?

"Weather bombs" can be a little more unpredictable in the detail of a weather forecast as they develop so fast.

The fact that we’ve had cold Arctic air in place across the UK also adds another layer of complexity to the forecast because we get a battle where mild air - and rain - hits the cold air turning the rain to snow for some.

While mid and east Wales, the Midlands and parts of northern England are most at risk of significant snow, local details can be tricky to determine if the cold air and snow wins out over the less cold, wet snow, sleet or rain.

Image source, PA Media

We've just heard from travel expert Simon Calder on BBC Breakfast about the potential transport disruption as a result of Storm Goretti:

Lots of rail companies have laid out their plans overnight, Calder says.

He points to the most significant closure being the line from Manchester to Sheffield, which won't run any services from 18:00 GMT until Saturday.

Various intercity operators - Avanti, LNER and more - are cutting back services from 15:00 today.

"Wherever you're going, the advice is check you'll be able to get there" he says, but he adds that companies are letting customers move their journeys to earlier today, so they can get their travelling done before the storm arrives.

Turning to roads, Calder points to warnings from the AA of 20cm of snow and drifting due to high winds.

"The message is, if you're thinking of driving, get your journey done good and early and only travel during the storm if its absolutely necessary," Calder says.

But there's better news where air travel is concerned. Calder says that the UK's are "all saying its all going to be normal", it's just Jersey and Guernsey that are closing and cancelling flights.

"It's important to understand your passenger rights, which curiously don't actually apply if you are flying from the Channel Islands" he adds.

But for everybody else, if your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to be flown to your destination on any airline as soon as possible.

Image source, Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

The cold snap this week has already led to the closure of more than 1,000 schools across the UK, and more are expected today.

How do I know if my child's school is closed?

Most local councils list school closures in their area on their websites. You can find information for school closures in England and Wales, external, Scotland, external, and Northern Ireland, external.

Local media and radio stations often also share lists of school closures through the morning.

Who decides whether to close a school?

Schools set their own plans and policies on how to deal with adverse weather conditions.

As a result, it's up to headteachers to decide whether it's safe to open based on a risk assessment and taking other local issues like transport and access into account.

What will the school do if it closes?

Schools will try to give parents as much notice as possible about a potential closure.

If it does close, then the Department for Education requires that a school should consider moving to remote learning until it is able to reopen.

Can I get time off work to look after my children?

The Employment Rights Act allows parents to take time off work "because of the unexpected disruption or termination of arrangements for the care of a dependant".

But, this does not mean that the parent will definitely be paid for the time off work - whether this is the case will depend on the employers' policies.

Look up the forecast wherever you are on BBC Weather.

Simon King
Presenter and meteorologist, BBC Weather

It’s a cold and potentially icy start to the day across Scotland and Northern Ireland where the lowest temperatures of -2 to -5C are currently around the snow cover in north and east Scotland.

Elsewhere, while quite a chilly start with some mist and fog, it’s generally the quiet before Storm Goretti.

Goretti is currently developing rapidly in the Atlantic with a huge cloud shield now covering much of Northern Ireland, England and Wales.

Rain will spread gradually north and east across much of England and Wales, the winds will strengthen in the south west and later this afternoon and evening, snow will start to fall.

Snow will initially be over higher ground but increasingly this evening and overnight snow will fall more widely across Mid and East Wales, the Midlands and parts of Northern England.

Image source, Getty Images

If you're preparing to make your way into work, have a quick read of this advice from the Met Office on driving safely in icy conditions:

• Slow down. It can take 10 times longer to stop your car in icy conditions
• Use a high gear. Doing so can help to avoid a wheel spin
• Avoid harsh braking. Pump the brakes if needed
• Take care around gritters. Don't be tempted to overtake them

If your car does start to skid, the AA's advice is to steer into it and ease off the accelerator - but avoid slamming on the brakes.

The Met Office, the UK's national weather service, has released amber and yellow warning for large swathes of the UK:

Amber warnings for heavy snow are in place in the following areas from 20:00 GMT Thursday to 09:00 on Friday:

• The Midlands
• Wales
• South West England
• Yorkshire & Humber

An amber warning for strong wind has also been issued from 17:00 - 23:00 Thursday in parts of South West England:

• Cornwall
• Isles of Scilly

Yellow weather warnings for snow, ice and rain are also in place for the following areas:

• Scotland (snow and ice) 22:00 Wednesday - 12:00 Thursday
• Devon and Somerset (snow) 20:00 Thursday - 09:00 Friday.
• The Midlands, Yorkshire, Wales, North West and South West England, North East England, East of England, London and South East England (snow) - 17:00 Thursday - 12:00 Friday.
• Northern Ireland (ice)- 00:00 - 10:00 Thursday
• Lincolnshire and parts of East of England including Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Peterborough and Suffolk (rain) - 18:00 Thursday - 21:00 Friday
• London and South East England, Pembrokeshire in Wales and South West England (wind) - 15:00 Thursday to 06:00 Friday.

You can read the full list here.

Tara Mewawalla
Live reporter

Image source, BBC Weather Watchers/ JRDixon1984

Storm Goretti is set to bring heavy snowfall and strong winds on Thursday as the Met Office has issued weather warnings across the UK.

Up to 30cm of snow could fall in the Midlands today and gusts of up to 90mph could hit some parts of the country, where there could be a potential risk to life, the Met Office warns.

The AA urged drivers to take "extreme care" due to the risk of black ice, as travel disruption is expected.

National Rail says Storm Goretti is expected to impact the railway network.

Europe has also been feeling the effects of the cold weather, with hundreds of flights cancelled across the continent and six weather-related deaths reported across France and the Bosnia.

We'll bring you the latest updates throughout today, stay with us.

Sarah Keith-Lucas
Weather presenter and meteorologist

As the sun has now set, temperatures are dropping quickly, and are expected to fall below freezing again tonight for many northern and eastern parts of the UK.

The coldest places in eastern Scotland may get down to around -7C, so watch out for icy stretches reforming.

The main ice risk tonight will be across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the far north of England, where yellow warnings are in force as rain and snow will fall on sub-zero surfaces - but patchy icy stretches are possible almost anywhere.

There remains the risk of injuries from slips and falls as well as difficult driving conditions on untreated roads.

We're now ending our coverage, but you can keep up to date with the UK forecast and travel disruption across western Europe.

Jack Grey
Live reporter

Image source, PA

Parts of the UK have faced severe weather throughout the day, as the country braches for Storm Goretti.

Northern Scotland felt the brunt of the cold snap on Wednesday, with more than 400 schools shut due to the icy conditions.

In Aberdeenshire people waded through deep snow to collect essential supplies.

Travel disruption continues this evening with warnings in place from Traffic Scotland and National Rail - we have a rundown of them.

Meanwhile, Eurostar services have been disrupted, with the operator warning of last-minute cancellations until at least Thursday. And airports across Europe have faced severe disruption - Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport alone seeing more than 700 flights cancelled.

A Met Office yellow snow and ice warning covering north-eastern Scotland will expand to cover all of Scotland and parts of northern England from 22:00 GMT.

On Thursday, there are several yellow and amber snow and wind warnings in place across the UK.

We'll shortly be wrapping up our live coverage, but before we go BBC Weather presenter Sarah Keith-Lucas will bring you the latest forecast in our next post.

Steven McKenzie
Reporting from Inverness

Image source, happydays/BBC Weather Watchers

More than 400 schools have been closed across Scotland today, our reporter takes a look at the picture in the Scottish Highlands today:

Wednesday was the first day back to school in the Highlands after the Christmas break, but only 50 of the local authority's almost 200 schools were able to open.

Inverness, Ross-shire, Badenoch and Strathspey and Caithness were among the worst-affected areas.

Highland Council education chairman, John Finlayson, says conditions have been “pretty severe”, adding that he is not sure when pupils will be able to return.

"The safety of staff and pupils is paramount," he says.

"The good news is a pretty deep thaw is taking place, and all council officers are working flat out to make sure roads are clear and get schools open as soon as possible."

Image source, Getty Images

With rush hour fast approaching, travel disruption caused by the cold weather continues:

On the roads

• Traffic Scotland has eight snow and ice warnings, external for roads across the north-eastern part of the country, with several other roads facing closures or delays due to incidents
• National Highways currently has no traffic alerts in place, but there is an amber alert in place from 18:00 GMT on Thursday

On the tracks

• Rail customers in northern Scotland should expect cancellations, alterations or delays due to the poor weather conditions, National Rail warns
• They have also issued a "check before you travel" warning for all routes in Wales, England and Scotland until Friday
• Eurostar warns that its trains are likely to be subject to severe delays and last-minute cancellations until at least Thursday

And, in the skies

• Some disruption has been reported at UK airports throughout the day - passengers are advised to check before travelling
• Hundreds of flights have been cancelled across mainland Europe, including more than 700 at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, they say wintry conditions could also cause delays and cancellations on Thursday

Tara Mewawalla
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

I've been speaking to the head of fundraising for Hackney Foodbank in London, who says a lot of old and vulnerable people struggle to heat their homes during the cold weather.

Jenna Fansa tells me that "it can be quite isolating for people if they are at home in the cold. They'll stay at home in one room of the house... with multiple blankets, trying to keep warm."

This can often go hand in hand with depression, anxiety and low mood, she adds.

Warm hubs - indoor spaces where people can go to warm up for free - have been set up to combat this. They are run by local authorities, community groups or members of the public and can sometimes be found inside churches or community centres.

You can find your nearest warm space on this map, put together by the Warm Welcome Campaign, external, or you can contact your council, local library, or any free galleries and museums.

Jenna says they are real community hubs and encourages people to contact their local libraries for more information.

In our previous post, we brought you a snapshot of the snowy conditions across Europe.

We've been seeing some striking images of the impact the cold weather is having on the continent:

Image source, Teresa Suarez/EPA/Shutterstock

Image source, Reuters

Image source, ZOLTAN MATHE/EPA/Shutterstock

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Image source, Getty Images

Intense snowfall and icy weather continues to impact the continent with flights and trains cancelled across parts of Europe, here's the latest:

Most of the Netherlands is under a snow and ice warning for today, bringing with it dangerous road conditions and potential snowdrifts.

In Germany, the national weather service says snowfall is expected to sweep across the country throughout today with up to 10cm forecast in some areas.

A blizzard warning is in place for parts of northern Denmark, with "heavy and wet" snowfall of up to 20cm forecast.

France is continuing to see heavy snowfall after five people died yesterday in two separate regions as a result of treacherous driving conditions.

Ben Philip
in Old Portlethen, Aberdeenshire

I spent the day yesterday in the village of Old Portlethen in Aberdeenshire, where one access road was completely blocked by several feet of snow.

I heard stories of people wading through deep snow to get essential supplies for elderly and vulnerable neighbours.

It was also a nightmare situation for Karen Hamilton, 60, who woke up yesterday morning without heating. I heard from her this morning that her heating has now been restored after an engineer was able to get to her.

One thing I’ve been struck by in recent days is the community spirit being demonstrated in what has been a difficult time for many in the area.

Dylan Greene
BBC Wales

North Wales has been particularly hit by heavy snow in recent days, and with so many people taking to the hills to enjoy it, some shops in the area say they have completely sold out of sleds.

A manager at Morgans, a shop in Ruthin, Denbighshire, said at the start of the week there was “a really big rush, they sold out so fast”.

“It's nice seeing a smile on people's face when they know they've got a snow day,” the manager said.

Another at St David’s Hospice Shop, Conwy, said the sleds were put out in the morning and “they’d all gone in less than an hour”.

Image source, EPA

We've another amber weather alert to bring you now - this one from National Highways - which is for snow in the West and East Midlands.

It'll be active from 18:00 on Thursday until 09:00 the following day, with Storm Goretti expected to bring a spell of heavy snow overnight.

Road users in the region are advised to check ahead and plan for disruption on their journeys.

It follows the Met Office's earlier amber warning for snow in the East Midlands, south-west England, Wales, West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber - all coming into effect from 20:00 on Thursday.

Earlier we reported nine children had been injured in a collision between a school coach and a bus in Reading.

This morning a school bus also landed in a ditch in Kent after slipping on black ice, according to fire crews.

Police said no one was injured when the crash occurred at Chilmington Green, Ashford, shortly after 08:00 GMT, with officers and officers and paramedics helping the passengers from the bus after the incident on the A28.

• You can read more about that crash here.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Getty Images

After a flurry of fresh warnings and alerts for snow and ice over the coming days, here's what you need to know about conditions gripping the UK and Europe:

• As Storm Goretti approaches, the Met Office is forecasting further heavy snow and wind for several parts of the UK until Friday
• In Reading, nine children have been injured following a collision between a school coach and a bus, with one adult and a child taken to hospital
• More than 400 schools remain shut in the north and north-east of Scotland, which has seen some of the heaviest snowfall in the UK
• Several Eurostar services - including services from London St Pancras to Amsterdam Central, Rotterdam Central and Paris Gare du Nord - have been cancelled or delayed due to "adverse weather conditions"
• Airports across Europe have seen severe disruption, with Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport alone seeing more than 700 flights cancelled

• The RAC has warned it is "vital" motorists take care on the roads due to the likelihood of encountering patches of the "very dangerous and almost impossible to spot" black ice
• In rural Aberdeenshire, one woman says she would have run out of food "days ago" if it wasn't for local farmers providing food deliveries for the local community