In Pictures: Snow settles across UK as temperatures plunge

The Met Office issued two amber warnings.

Snow falls around the Beatles statue in Liverpool

Large parts of England and Wales have been hit by snowstorms after the coldest March temperature in more than a decade was recorded overnight.

It hit minus 16C at Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands on Wednesday night.

Snow at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland — Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland was surrounded by snow (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Snow alongside the A1 in Northumberland — Motorists were surrounded by snow-covered fields as they travelled along the A1 in Northumberland (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Snow in Northumberland — Some in Northumberland took advantage of the snow-covered fields for some outdoor fun (Owen Humphreys/PA)

The Met Office issued two amber warnings for “strong winds bringing blizzard conditions” and up to 16in (40cm) of snow for an area stretching from Stoke-on-Trent to Durham in England, as well as North Wales.

Heavy snow covers houses and fields in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire (Joe Giddens/PA)

Snow in Northamptonshire — Northamptonshire was one of the many counties in England to wake up to snow on Thursday (Joe Giddens/PA)

Snow was falling around the Liver bird statue on top of the Liver Building in Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA)

Snow was falling at the Beatles statue in Liverpool — Not far way in the city, snow was falling at the Beatles statue in Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA)

Many dogs arriving for the Crufts show in Birmingham were wrapped up to protect them from the snow.

A dog in the snow — People arrive with their pets on the first day of the Crufts Dog Show at the NEC in Birmingham (Jacob King/PA)

A Samoyed dog named Felicity sits by an umbrella on the first day of the Crufts Dog Show (Jacob King/PA)

A dog wrapped up to keep warm up at Crufts — The conditions were a bit tricky for some of the dogs turning up at Crufts (Jacob King/PA)

People arrive for the first day of the Crufts Dog Show (Jacob King/PA)

Snow kept falling across the country on Thursday.

Heavy snow fell in Saddleworth near Oldham (Peter Byrne/PA)

Snow at Saddleworth Moor golf course — It was not really the best day for a round at the Saddleworth Moor golf course (Peter Byrne/PA)