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© Nigel BennettPolice block off access to the M62 motorway after the fatal crash which claimed the lives of three men
Three men have died in a crash on a snow-affected motorway and two killed by an avalanche as Britons were told to prepare for New Year's Eve weather chaos.

The men killed in the crash, who are believed to be from the Preston area, died after their Mitsubishi left the westbound carriageway of the M62 near Huddersfield in snowy conditions and collided with the nearside barrier.

Britain's deep freeze also claimed the lives of two climbers in an avalanche on Ben Nevis. It was one of three to hit Scotland within a matter of hours. The second, in Torridon, Wester Ross, claimed the life of a 53-year-old climber from Derbyshire. He had been found alive but died later from internal injuries in hospital.

The deaths came as forecasters warned temperatures are set to drop below freezing on New Year's Eve with sleet, snow and rain almost certain to plunge the country into chaos once again.

Yesterday temperatures plummeted to -18C in some areas and forecasters predicted snowfalls as deep as 12 inches.

The Met Office issued severe weather warnings for Wales, the West Midlands and South-West England, and warned of further flurries in the North.

Wales was worst hit yesterday with as much as eight to 12 inches (20-30cm) of snow in places.

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© Press AssociationA snowplough clears roads around the M62 motorway in the Huddersfield area, as snow continues to fall across many parts of the UK
There were also snow showers in the West Country and across the Midlands, North-East England and Scotland.

Temperatures plunged to -18C at Braemar in Aberdeenshire, the coldest night so far this winter. There were a series of accidents on the roads because of the extreme conditions.

A young boy was killed in a car crash after the car he was travelling in collided with another on icy roads in Rugby, Warwickshire.

In Essex, a herd of frightened pigs brought the M11 to a standstill after the farm lorry carrying them overturned. The motorway was closed for 12 hours as police, firefighters and RSPCA officers rounded up the pigs.

The drama began when the lorry carrying more than 100 pigs to a slaughterhouse overturned on the southbound carriageway near Harlow.

Eighty of the animals were trapped inside the wreckage but more than a dozen escaped and began wandering along the motorway forcing traffic to a standstill. Both lanes of the M11 were closed while the pigs were recaptured.

The driver suffered head and shoulder injuries in the crash and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. A vet was also called to the scene to help the pigs that had been injured but many had to be destroyed at the scene.

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© Stephen HuntleyA herd of pigs brought the M11 to a standstill between junctions 7 and 8 after the farm lorry carrying them overturned near Harlow, Essex
There were also warnings for walkers. One man died after slipping on ice while visiting his mother's grave in Manchester on Christmas Day.

Motorists were told to beware icy roads as forecasters claimed that the cold weather would grip the country well into next week.

Up to four inches (10cm) of snow is expected to fall elsewhere in the next 24 hours, while long periods of rain are expected in the South, turning the snow into ice.

By 3pm yesterday, the AA had attended around 14,000 breakdowns since midnight and expected the day's total to exceed 18,000 compared with around 8,500 on a normal Tuesday.

New Year revellers were also urged to be careful in the treacherous conditions as temperatures fall and ice forms on roads and pavements.

As Big Ben chimes midnight to welcome in 2010, those celebrating Hogmanay in Edinburgh can expect temperatures of -2C, while revellers in Glasgow will have to contend with a bracing -3C and party-goers in the Highlands a finger-numbing -6C.

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© Peter JollyUse your horn: A deer on the road near Garve in the Scottish Highlands
Elsewhere at new year, temperatures of -2C are predicted for Manchester and Newcastle, -1C for Birmingham and Cardiff and zero in London.

New Year's Day will be chilly, with temperatures in the northern half of the country unlikely to get above freezing.

John Hammond, from the Met Office, said: 'The snow will be heavy at times with drifting likely in strong easterly winds, leading to blizzard conditions over hills.

'And the cold weather will remain with us into the New Year and into next week.

'There won't be any let up. It's going to affect all parts of the country.

'Temperatures will fall below freezing in pretty much every region and in some parts it could drop into double figures.

'It's going to be incredibly cold.'