08/02/2007

Heavy snow causes travel disruption

Heavy snow has caused travel chaos across many parts of England and Wales.

The severe weather conditions caused runaways to be closed at Luton, Stansted, Cardiff, London City, Birmingham and Gatwick, but they have since reopened.

Train services were also affected, with Southern Railways, South West Trains and First Great Western all reporting cancellations and delays to their services.

Many schools were also closed in parts of England, including Birmingham and East Anglia, while more than 300 schools were closed in Wales.

Around 3in of snow fell in parts of England and Wales and forecasters predicted that up to 6in of snow could fall over parts of the Midlands, South and Mid-Wales and Northern Ireland today. Up to 5cms of snow was expected in London and southern England.

Driving conditions were reported to be worst in the southeast of England, with areas such as Surrey, London and Essex all affected by the snow, according to AA's Roadwatch service.

The Highways Agency advised motorists to check weather forecasts and road conditions before setting off on their journey.

People who have to make essential journeys were also being advised to take warm clothes, food, water, boots, de-icer, a torch and a spade in their vehicle.

Widespread icy conditions are predicted for later on Thursday, while the weather is expected to improve on Friday in most areas.

However, more snow has been predicted for central and northern England and some parts of Scotland on Saturday. Scotland may also face further snowfall on Sunday.

The British Chambers of Commerce has warned that lateness and loss of work hours caused by the severe weather would cost the British economy up to £400 million.

(KMcA)


Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

10 February 2012
Snow Follows Ice Across Parts Of England And Wales
The wintry weather will continue over the next few days as Atlantic weather systems stall as they move across the UK, bringing the mix of rain, sleet and snow. As expected, freezing rain and ice brought treacherous conditions across northern Britain on Thursday, and many parts of England and east Wales could will see snow today Friday.
03 February 2009
Commuters Face Delays As Big Freeze Continues
Commuters are to face further disruption as Britain's 'Big freeze' continues to spread chaos across the country. Forecasters have warned northern England, Scotland and Wales could be battered with the worst of the wintry conditions, which yesterday affected bus, train and air travel and saw hundreds of schools closed.
16 December 2010
Snow To Disrupt The Weekend
Met office forecasters are warning of the potential for heavy snow across parts of the UK this weekend. Snow is forecast to spread from the west across Wales, and south west England overnight into Saturday morning, before pushing east across other parts of England through the day.
17 December 2009
Met Office Issues Snow Warning
After predicting the change to much colder weather, the Met Office has now forecast heavy falls of snow in parts of East Anglia and south-east England. Snow showers later on today and during Friday are likely to become heavy at times, bringing the potential of serious disruption in some areas tomorrow.
22 February 2005
Cold weather set to continue
The current cold spell gripping the UK is set to continue, the Met Office has warned, with more snow showers expected across England and Wales today. South East England could see accumulations of snow of between 3 to 7cm, due to persistent snow showers, the Met Office warned.