Arctic freeze grinds Britain to a halt: London set to plunge to -6C with flights grounded, ‘do not travel’ rail warning and roads blocked – as UK braces for coldest night of winter

Flights were cancelled, trains axed and hundreds of schools closed today after Britain was hit by heavy snow as the cold snap continues for at least the rest of this week.

Liverpool, Aberdeen, Inverness and Belfast International airports were worst hit by disruption with a series of cancellations as the conditions blocked runways.

LNER advised rail passengers  ‘do not travel’ on the entire East Coast Mainline for the rest of today, while services were also badly affected in Wales and northern Scotland.

Eurostar told passengers going between London and the Netherlands to postpone their journey as services could not operate beyond Brussels due to the weather.

Wintry conditions also blocked trains in Wales between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog; Machynlleth and Pwllheli; and to Manchester Piccadilly via Shrewsbury.

The UK faces its chilliest night of the winter so far tonight with temperatures falling to -12C (10F), while London faces an exceptionally cold night with -6C (21F) lows.

Temperatures will widely fall below zero again after the mercury fell to -10.9C (12.4F) at Shap in Cumbria last night, making it England’s coldest night of winter so far.

More than 1ft 8in (52cm) of snow has already fallen in the worst-hit parts of Scotland, bringing travel chaos after Met Office amber warnings were imposed.

Meteorologists also warned today of a ‘potential multi-hazard event’ this Thursday as a low pressure system could bring further snow, heavy rain and strong winds.

Snow could even fall in the South ‘on the leading edge’ of the approaching system, eventually bringing milder air and temperatures as warm as Spain by the weekend. 

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) continued to have an amber cold health alert in force for the whole of England, which is in place until Friday morning.

It means health services may be severely impacted and that officials expect a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or who have health conditions.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, urged people to check in on vulnerable friends, family and neighbours.

He warned: ‘The forecast temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, leading to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, particularly for individuals over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions.’

As many people went back to school or work after the Christmas and New Year period, a string of snow and ice warnings were in place across the UK for today.

The NHS has advised the elderly or vulnerable to stay safe by keeping their home heated to at least 18C, remaining active indoors with gentle movement to improve circulation; and wearing hats, gloves, and warm indoor footwear such as slippers.

Official Government advice states people can reduce the risk of developing medical problems by trying not to sit still for more than an hour or so; and, if they find it difficult to move about, stretching their arms and legs to help keep them warm.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) urged companies to allow employees to work from home in the snow because no one should be ‘pressured into making dangerous journeys’ and said workers who cannot get to work should not be penalised.

A TUC spokesman said: ‘Good bosses will already have bad weather policies in place so staff know where they stand and recognise the difficulties those with children face when schools are closed.’

Some Brits also reported that their boiler had stopped working this morning due to the cold weather, after the condensate pipe – the white plastic pipe outside – had frozen.

Meanwhile many households’ energy bills rose from January 1, with the 0.2 per cent increase to Ofgem’s energy price cap equating to a rise of about 28p a month for the average household in England, Wales and Scotland on a standard variable tariff.

The AA warned of a ‘Manic Monday’ today with 22million cars expected to hit the roads and today predicted to be one of the worst days of the year for breakdowns.

Flat batteries and tyres are expected to be common reasons for callouts, with drivers heading out to cars that have sat idle outside homes over the Christmas period.

The Met Office said the whole of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England remained under yellow warnings for snow and ice this afternoon as an Arctic airmass continues to cover the UK.

Further warnings cover the east of England and west of Wales as well as Devon and Cornwall.

Schools in Shetland, Orkney, the Western Isles, Aberdeenshire and many in Moray are shut today.

Some across parts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland were also closed.

In Wales, train services are disrupted between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog, between Machynlleth and Pwllheli and between Wales and Manchester Piccadilly via Shrewsbury/Crewe, National Rail said.

Train services in northern Scotland will be disrupted until the end of the day on Tuesday, National Rail said. 

Stations north of Edinburgh will not be served by LNER until 2pm today, and there will be no ScotRail services on routes between Dundee and Aberdeen; Aberdeen/Elgin and Inverness; and Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh/Wick, until at least midday.

LNER also said: ‘Due to multiple disruptions today, we are advising customers DO NOT TRAVEL on the East Coast Mainline until the end of the day.’ 

Eurostar advised passengers travelling between London and the Netherlands to postpone their journey as services are unable to operate beyond Brussels due to the weather in the Netherlands.

All trains scheduled to depart from the Netherlands cannot run, a spokesperson added.

The Met Office warned that people living in the regions covered by the amber weather warning could expect travel disruption, and that rural communities could become cut off.

Loganair cancelled flights from Aberdeen and Inverness airports following heavy snowfall.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport posted this morning to say the runway was closed due to wintry conditions and some flights were ‘subject to delay and there have been some cancelations’.

And Belfast International Airport said there had been several delays and cancellations today.

Police travel advice has been issued following the weather warnings for snow across north and north-east Scotland.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell: ‘The forecasted heavy snow showers and ice means driving conditions are likely to be hazardous in some areas.

‘Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary during the weather warnings. We continue to work with partners to help our communities impacted by the adverse weather.

‘If you need to travel, please drive to the conditions, be prepared for delays and allow extra time for your journey. Please don’t drive through road closures, the decision to close roads is not taken lightly and is done for public safety.’

The RAC issued advice to those planning to drive during the wintry weather.

Spokesman Rod Dennis said: ‘Drivers must take extreme care, especially those using roads that haven’t been gritted, and should consider delaying their journeys until conditions improve.

‘For those making essential trips, allow extra time to fully de-ice and de-mist your vehicle and leave plenty of space behind the vehicle in front and reduce your speed to give yourself more time to stop.

‘If you do break down, being prepared is vital. Make sure you have warm, waterproof clothing, sturdy footwear, a hot drink in a flask, and a power bank to keep your phone charged.’

The A50 road in Staffordshire was closed in both directions between the A522 at Uttoxeter and the A521 at Blythe Bridge Roundabout after separate crashes on both sides involving lorries.

The M53 in Merseyside was closed between junction four for Clatterbridge and junction five for Hooton after a collision involving two cars at about 11am today. 

Meanwhile on the M6 in Cheshire, three lanes were shut southbound after a crash between junction 17 for Sandbach and junction 18 for Middlewich.

Further routes in the region were blocked due to heavy snow – including the A51 London Road between New Road (Hixon) to A518 Stafford Road (Weston); the A518 Weston Road from Boat Lane (Weston) to Blackheath Lane (Beaconside); and the A34 Congleton Road in both directions from Talke Road (Talke Pits) to A5011 Linley Road (Talke Traffic Lights, Talke).

Lying snow has been recorded at many Met Office stations, with the greatest accumulations being 52cm at Tomintoul in Banffshire, 35cm at Durris in Kincardineshire and 34cm at Loch Glascarnoch in Ross and Cromarty as of 10am this morning.

Forecasters said many inland areas will remain dry with long sunny spells, but snow will continue in northern and eastern areas – before becoming lighter and less frequent through the day today.

Overnight into tomorrow, temperatures will again fall below freezing for much of the UK, with the lowest readings over lying snow down to -12C.

Tomorrow will see a continuation of wintry showers at first across parts of Wales and South West England.

A mixture mix of rain, sleet and snow will move south-eastwards across Scotland and Northern Ireland, then later into parts of Wales and England.

Forecasters believe there further disruptive snow could affect central and northern Scotland later tomorrow morning until early evening.

Met Office chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: ‘The UK will continue to experience a range of winter weather hazards through this week, with low temperatures as well as snow showers and the risk of ice for many.

‘A number of severe weather warnings have been issued and these are likely to be updated through the week so do keep up to date with the forecast.’

Further into the week there are signs of a ‘potential multi-hazard event’, although the Met Office said uncertainty remained over the position of a low pressure system.

Its deputy chief meteorologist Mike Silverstone said: ‘While we’re confident an area of low pressure will move in from the west on Thursday and into Friday, the exact position of that low pressure is uncertain at this stage.

‘The position is important as it will determine the type of severe weather different locations may experience.

‘The most likely scenario at this stage is for low pressure to track near the south coast. Near and south of the low, heavy rain and strong winds are more likely, whilst snow could accumulate to the north as it encounters cold air.

‘As confidence increases in the track of the low pressure, so will the detail of the weather impacts so it is important to stay up to date with the weather forecast through the week.’

Nicola Maxey, Met Office spokesperson, said: ‘We have cold, Arctic air over the country and any moisture in the air is likely to fall as snow. As we go into the second half of the week, we are likely to see some less cold air arriving and temperatures creeping up.

‘But we are keeping our eye on a low-pressure system which has the potential to bring some impactful weather for the South – potentially with snow on its leading edge – on Thursday into Friday.’

Ms Maxey said it is too early to provide details of where any snow may fall, before turning to rain as temperatures increase.

Daytime highs of 10C to 11C (50F to 52F) in London and 13C (55F) in Bristol are expected by the weekend.

Malaga, on the Spanish Costa del Sol, is only set to reach 12C (54F) on Saturday and 14C (57F) on Sunday. 

Further north and west, in England and Wales, highs of 6C (43F) are more likely.

Amber weather warnings are issued when there is an increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather, including the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property.

Yellow warnings are issued for a range of weather situations, including when it is likely that the weather will cause some low level impacts, including some disruption to travel in a few places, or when the weather could bring much more severe impacts to the majority of people but the certainty of those impacts occurring is much lower, according to the Met Office.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, told the Daily Mail: ‘Flight delays or cancellations due to snow can be extremely frustrating, but airlines still have a duty of care to passengers, and must provide clear information about their rights to assistance or a refund.

‘If you are flying with a UK or EU airline, or due to depart from a UK or EU airport with any carrier, you’ll be entitled to food and drink during delays of over two hours for short-haul flights, three hours for medium-haul and four hours for long-haul. If you are stuck overnight, you are entitled to accommodation too.

‘If your flight is cancelled, you also have the choice of being refunded or rerouted on the next available flight. If you choose the latter, then your airline must get you to your destination as soon as possible – including with a rival carrier, if necessary.’

George Fiddes, of Transport Scotland, said: ‘Particularly cold weather is expected this week which is likely to impact driving conditions in the areas covered by the yellow warning, so our advice to motorists is to plan your journey, eave extra time if needed and drive to the conditions.’

Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell said: ‘The forecasted heavy snow showers and ice means driving conditions are likely to be hazardous in some areas. Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary during the weather warnings.

‘We continue to work with partners to help our communities impacted by the adverse weather.

‘If you need to travel, please drive to the conditions, be prepared for delays and allow extra time for your journey. Please don’t drive through road closures, the decision to close roads is not taken lightly and is done for public safety.’

Scotland’s Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop urged people to follow advice from authorities.

She said: ‘We’ve already seen challenging conditions and freezing temperatures, with more snow and ice on the way for the same areas.

‘Of course for many, Monday marks a return to work from the festive break. If you have to travel then please ensure your vehicle is winter ready and have a winter kit in your car.

‘Follow Police Scotland travel advice. If you can delay your journey until the amber warning has expired, please do so.’

Age Scotland’s policy director Adam Stachura said: ‘With such cold temperatures and icy conditions ahead, try and make sure you have enough food and any important medications at home to reduce the need for unnecessary and potentially risky trips.

‘This is particularly important if you have mobility challenges or are unsteady on your feet by avoiding slips, falls and the need for medical attention.

‘If heating your home is a challenge, try and stay warm in the room or place you will spend most of your time by wearing layered clothing, taking warm drinks and food with some regular movement to help with circulation and keeping your muscles active.

‘And if you are out clearing paths and your drive of snow an ice, please think about also doing so for your older neighbours to help make it easier for them to leave the house if they need to. That act of kindness will go a long way.’