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Much of Britain was blanketed in snow tonight after a day of blizzards which stranded motorists, blacked out homes and forced dozens of schools to close.

The cold snap was a chilly foretaste of what experts have forecast will be the coldest winter in memory. The snow was due to ease off overnight but further blizzards are expected in eastern Scotland on Sunday.

Cornwall was worst hit by the blizzards, with the Met Office reporting snowfall of up to ten inches in some parts just a few hours this morning. A major rescue operation was launched after dozens of motorists were stranded in their cars after a crash blocked the A30 in Bodmin.

Headteachers closed 68 of Cornwall’s 273 primary and secondary schools because of the weather. But while many children enjoyed an unexpected day off, about 2,000 pupils were still stuck at school this evening unable to go home.

A Cornwall County Council spokeswoman said: "They’re being looked after until they can be collected. They’re not trapped in a school with no food or water."

The council is looking at contingency plans in case the pupils have to stay at school overnight, but as the weather improves more parents are already arriving to collect their children.

Police forces across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland reported a slew of weather-related crashes which claimed at least two lives on icy roads. There have also been snowfalls in Devon, Dorset, Somerset, North Yorkshire and East Anglia.

In the Highlands and Aberdeenshire more than 4,000 homes were without electricity after a night of blizzards with temperatures dropping to -3C. Around 80 schools were closed, as were many roads in the Grampian region.

In the far north of Scotland, the Dounreay nuclear site in Caithness was forced to shut by 90mph winds. Ferry operators and airports warned that delays and cancellations were likely.

In Wales, 250 schools closed - around 50 in Carmarthenshire alone - and people were advised not to drive. A 50mph speed limit was in force on a 50-mile stretch of the M4. The Royal Mail cancelled deliveries to outlying rural areas.

About two inches (5cm) of snow fell on the North Yorkshire Coast and North York Moors with more roads blocked.

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