UK weather: Snow falls across country after coldest night in two years as people flee homes in Devon due to flooding and landslides

Snow has fallen across the country, after the UK froze on the coldest night in nearly two years.

Wintry conditions have gripped Scotland over the last week with heavy snow causing travel chaos, and on Sunday there were flurries across swathes of the Midlands and South East, though forecasters warned it was likely to turn to rain by the end of the day. 

Downpours in north Devon have seen homes evacuated and roads blocked after "widespread flooding". 

People were forced to flee homes in Kentisbury, near Barnstaple, and other properties have been flooded in Combe Martin on nearby Exmoor, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

The A399 at Combe Martin has been closed following a landslide reported at 10.35am on Sunday with a police spokesman saying part of the carriageway has collapsed.

The A361 is also closed near Landkey in Barnstaple and mudslides have been reported at Muddiford, north of Barnstaple, the force said.

Temperatures plummeted overnight, with a low of -13.5C (7.7F) recorded in the Highland village of Dalwhinnie, while freezing temperatures were recorded as far south as London Luton Airport.

The Met Office has updated a yellow "be aware" warning of snow and ice to cover much of Scotland, north Wales and England down to southern parts.

The warning, valid from 6am until 6pm, predicts snow on higher routes and says that rain may fall onto frozen surfaces for a time, particularly across Scotland, following a very cold night.

Icy patches are likely on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths - while some disruption could be seen to journeys by road, bus and train on affected routes.

Traffic Scotland urged drivers to check their routes before setting off and to ensure they were carrying emergency supplies in case they get stuck.

North Wales Police also warned of poor conditions on the roads due to snow and ice, particularly on routes in Snowdonia.

Meanwhile, the Mountain Road was closed on the Isle of Man due to snow.

In Northern Ireland, a yellow warning of ice was in force until 9am on Sunday, while a yellow warning of rain runs until 3pm.

The snowy conditions have seen crowd flock to Scottish ski resorts over the weekend.

On Friday in Glencoe, blizzard conditions hampered a rescue operation to save two ski tourers stranded without shelter at 3,000ft.

The pair were winched into a coastguard helicopter at first light on Saturday before being taken to hospital by ambulance.

Police warned skiers heading to resorts not to park on the verges after disruption on Saturday and warned that cars causing obstructions may be seized.

Skiers faced six-mile tailbacks as they flocked to the slopes at Glencoe Mountain Resort to take advantage of the snowy conditions.

Drivers abandoned their cars on the roads as they tried to reach the resorts where car parks were full and police said high volumes of traffic hampered the efforts of gritters.

Saturday night saw the coldest temperature recorded in the UK since February 14 2016, when minus 14.1C (6.6F) was recorded at Braemar.

Despite the frigid temperatures in the far north, the mercury rose to 11C in the (52F) in the far south west of England.

Met Office forecaster Steven Keate said the near 20C (46F) difference, caused as warmer air moves in, was "pretty unusual for the UK".

"The broad theme is it is turning milder from the west, but before we get there some snow will fall," he said.

On Friday, members of the public were urged to stay off the roads in some areas of Scotland, with weather warnings covering much of the country.

Dozens of schools around Scotland were closed while some shut early due to the weather.

On Tuesday night, more than 200 motorists were stranded overnight on the M74 as heavy snow and ice caused treacherous driving conditions.