THE cold weather wasn't bad news for everyone.

This snowboarder found conditions to his liking in the North Pennines.

North News photographer Paul Kingston caught the extreme sports fan in action as he took to the slopes of Yadmoss Ski Tow in Cumbria, following heavy snowfalls across northern England overnight.

Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said: "We have had some quickly changing weather overnight with a band of heavy rain and hill snow that started in the south west and is gradually moving north and eastwards.

"That's crossed Wales and is just lying over central southern England and it has brought some snow with it."

Up to 7cm of snow was recorded to have fallen over Exmoor, South Wales and the Cotswolds overnight, while other areas also saw flurries.

"We have had a number of reports of areas affected; it shut part of the M5 just south of Bristol because lorries could not get uphill," Mr Partridge said.

"There has also been come power cuts reported and road traffic accidents as well, although these have been more to do with surface water."

Strong winds were also recorded in parts of the south west overnight, with gusts of up to 50mph blowing across Cornwall.

The Met Office issued a yellow warning of rain and snow for the Midlands, London and the South East, the North West, South West and Yorkshire and the Humber.

A separate warning for ice has been issued for Northern Ireland, Yorkshire and the Humber and the North East in England and the Highlands, Grampian, Lothian and Borders, Strathclyde and Orkney and Shetland in Scotland.

As of 10am, the Environment Agency had 14 warnings in place where flooding is expected and immediate action is required, with more than 100 alerts where flooding is possible and people should be prepared.