Snow, wind, rain, breakdowns...Happy New Year!

If you made it to your desk this morning [January 3] – congratulations. Not only is today – the first day back at work after the Christmas holidays – traditionally the worst day of the year for car breakdowns, but in many parts of the country high winds and snow have forced the closure of roads and bridges.

The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for many areas, including Yorkshire and Humber, the South East and South West; further heavy rain tomorrow, accompanied by strong winds, could cause localised flooding in the West.

Winds of 95-plus mph have closed the QEII Bridge at Dartford on the M25. The Tamar Bridge, between Cornwall and Devon, has been closed to high-sided vehicles. Blizzard conditions have forced the closure of Glasgow’s Kingston Bridge as well as the Tay and Forth bridges. ScotRail is urging passengers not to travel while Glasgow Airport warned of  delays and cancellations.

Last year proved among the worst for road users in the UK. Several heavy snow falls meant that the AA 'enjoyed' its busiest winter for breakdowns in its history. They attended over half a million breakdowns between December 17 (when the first snow fell) and January 17 – more than double the usual number.

Despite the chilly start, following on from the coldest December on record in 2010,  2011 went on to be the second warmest year on record.

Nonetheless, even before today's bad weather, the AA was still expecting to attend 15,500 breakdowns today – 60 per cent more than on a regular Tuesday.

Keith Miller, AA Patrol of the Year, said: “The first working day in January is almost always the busiest day of the year. Many cars are unused over the holiday, so, come January, the battery is often flat.

“Although the recent mild weather has helped, many people will still fail to make it off the drive today."

[Photograph shows a car slowing to avoid a fallen tree in Bristol this morning. Photograph: Getty Images]