Snow and ice are set to cause Monday morning misery as the wintry weather dubbed the “mini beast from the east” continues to disrupt the UK.

An amber weather warning for snow is in place in south west England and the Met Office said travel delays are likely, stranding some vehicles and passengers.

Devon County Council has confirmed the closure of dozens of schools on Monday and described roads as “treacherous”, while train services are also affected.

Some places are likely to see up to 40cm of snow, while it could feel as chilly as minus 10C in parts.

On Sunday evening, Great Western Railway said train services were disrupted due to severe weather.

Devon and Cornwall Police tweeted: “Further snow expected into the early hours of Monday. Police and partner agencies continue to work hard to keep roads open and people safe.

“Drivers are warned to expect snow and icy conditions on morning commute. Only travel if you have to and leave extra time for your journey.”

Met Office forecaster Becky Mitchell said: “Tonight the main risk is disruptive snowfall which is across south west England. We’ve got an amber weather warning in force in the next few hours and into the early hours of the morning.

“So quite widely we could see 5cm perhaps at lower levels, and by the end of the night we could see 30-40cm in places across Dartmoor and Exmoor, and generally over higher ground.”

Ms Mitchell said there will be “really tricky” travelling conditions as snow begins to drift.

Southern counties of England and parts of South Wales could also see a few centimetres of snow by morning.

The forecaster warned of ice and said temperatures in many places will be below freezing.

Ms Mitchell said rural spots could see lows of minus 6C or minus 7C, and it will feel as cold as minus 8C or minus 10C.

It will turn a little less cold through Monday with a maximum temperature of 7C.

“Although it is less cold, it is going to still feel pretty chilly for most places,” she said, adding that milder, more average, temperatures will return in the coming days.