Drivers have been warned to take precautions against icy conditions on the roads as the first cold snap of the winter continues.

The chilly weather on Monday brought disruption to roads across Scotland and forced some schools to close after heavy overnight snowfall hit the Highlands, Lanarkshire, Central Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway and Aberdeenshire.

The M74 in South Lanarkshire and the A74 in Dumfries and Galloway were both reduced to one lane southbound after lorries jackknifed.

Stornoway airport was closed leading to delays on flights to and from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Benbecula and Aberdeen.

There was also snow across the north of England, believed to have led to the death of a lorry driver on the A160 in north Lincolnshire who lost control of his white Scania vehicle at about 4.14am.

A spokeswoman for Humberside Police said road conditions in the area were quite poor at the time due to cold weather and hailstones.

Wintry conditions were forecast to affect the same areas of the country on Tuesday, bringing with them the likelihood of icy conditions on the road.

Victoria Kettley, a forecaster for MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "Wintry showers in parts of Scotland, north-east Wales and the north of England moving eastwards towards the Pennines mean that icy conditions are likely. We also expect 2cm to 5cm of snow in many places in Scotland overnight, reaching up to 10cm across higher ground."

The Met Office has issued severe weather alerts for all parts of Scotland, Yorkshire and Humber, the West and East Midlands, the North West and the North East of England, and Northern Ireland, warning that icy stretches were likely to develop on untreated surfaces where wintry showers had fallen.

Preparations to carry out gritting were ready in almost all areas of the country overnight, a spokesman for the Highways Agency said. He added: "We advise drivers to plan their journey carefully in these conditions by checking weather forecasts and traffic updates before they travel by road. Drivers should also allow for extra time for their journeys in extreme conditions and consider whether their journey is essential."