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Cold weather causes travel chaos Cold weather causes travel chaos
(about 1 hour later)
Thousands of people face further disruption to their Christmas travel plans as cold weather continues to grip much of the country.Thousands of people face further disruption to their Christmas travel plans as cold weather continues to grip much of the country.
BA cancelled all short-haul flights out of Heathrow while Eurostar passengers in London queued round the block.BA cancelled all short-haul flights out of Heathrow while Eurostar passengers in London queued round the block.
BAA has apologised for spoiling so many people's Christmases, but Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said aviation was a "safety-first business". BAA has apologised for spoiling so many people's Christmases but Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said aviation was a "safety-first business".
The Met has warned of more snow and ice in parts of the UK overnight.
In Essex, the conditions led to a death when a man fell through ice on a lake.In Essex, the conditions led to a death when a man fell through ice on a lake.
The unnamed man, in his 30s, was dragged out of the lake at Rochford, near Southend, on Sunday afternoon but died later in hospital.The unnamed man, in his 30s, was dragged out of the lake at Rochford, near Southend, on Sunday afternoon but died later in hospital.
Heathrow airport officials told passengers with flights scheduled to depart from terminals 1 or 3 not to travel to the airport as extreme congestion meant no more passengers were being accepted into the buildings.Heathrow airport officials told passengers with flights scheduled to depart from terminals 1 or 3 not to travel to the airport as extreme congestion meant no more passengers were being accepted into the buildings.
They added that no more than a third of all flights would operate until 0600 GMT on Wednesday and warned passengers to expect delays and cancellations possibly until Christmas Day. They added that no more than a third of all flights would operate until 0600 GMT on Wednesday and warned passengers to expect delays and cancellations, possibly until Christmas Day.
Speaking about the "very real challenge" Heathrow was experiencing in a statement to MPs, Mr Hammond announced that planes would be allowed to land through the night at the airport for the next four days to help deal with the back-log of flights.
He said operating hours would also be extended until 0100 GMT but warned that the airport would operate at a reduced capacity until Christmas.
In other delays:In other delays:
  • At Gatwick, 600 flights took off and landed at the airport on Monday, but several hundred people remained stuck at the airport
  • Cardiff Airport was shut until 1700 GMT
  • Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Birmingham, Luton, London City, Bristol and Southampton airports all said flights would be subject to delays and cancellations
  • Exeter has closed a runway until at least 1900 GMT. Flybe has cancelled all departures from there on Monday.
  • Stansted is said to be operating as normal.
  • Elsewhere in Europe, there was severe disruption at airports in Frankfurt, Paris, Florence and Amsterdam.
  • At Gatwick, 600 flights took off and landed at the airport on Monday, but several hundred people remained stuck at the airport
  • Cardiff Airport was shut until 1700 GMT
  • Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Birmingham, Luton, London City, Bristol and Southampton airports all said flights would be subject to delays and cancellations
  • Exeter has closed a runway until at least 1900 GMT. Flybe has cancelled all departures from there on Monday.
  • Stansted is said to be operating as normal.
  • Elsewhere in Europe, there was severe disruption at airports in Frankfurt, Paris, Florence and Amsterdam.
There was also disruption to road and rail travel on Monday:There was also disruption to road and rail travel on Monday:
  • Driving conditions on the M5 in Somerset were described as "treacherous" with reports of motorists abandoning cars on the motorway
  • Some London-Leeds and London-York services were cancelled on the East Coast Main Line.
  • No trains are running between Birmingham New Street and Coventry.
  • Driving conditions on the M5 in Somerset were described as "treacherous" with reports of motorists abandoning cars on the motorway
  • Some London-Leeds and London-York services were cancelled on the East Coast Main Line.
  • No trains are running between Birmingham New Street and Coventry
  • AA insurance said it had received double the number of car insurance claims on Monday as it would on a typical Monday during December.
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People at St Pancras station queued for five hours for Eurostar services to the continent, which was also suffering from severe weather. The station was so busy that many had to wait outside, lined up around the terminal building.People at St Pancras station queued for five hours for Eurostar services to the continent, which was also suffering from severe weather. The station was so busy that many had to wait outside, lined up around the terminal building.
Eurostar is now asking all passengers with bookings to stay away from St Pancras, as they try to clear the huge backlog.Eurostar is now asking all passengers with bookings to stay away from St Pancras, as they try to clear the huge backlog.
One worker at St Pancras estimated there were 3,500 people - most of them families - queuing outside the station.One worker at St Pancras estimated there were 3,500 people - most of them families - queuing outside the station.
A Salvation Army tea truck was serving hot drinks, and spirits were surprisingly relaxed despite Eurostar staff "keeping out of public view," he told the BBC.A Salvation Army tea truck was serving hot drinks, and spirits were surprisingly relaxed despite Eurostar staff "keeping out of public view," he told the BBC.
BBC producer Nicki Stiastny, who is trying to get to France, said British Transport Police angered many when they stopped letting people join the end of the queue. BBC producer Nicki Stiastny, who has been in the Eurostar queue for nearly eight hours and is trying to get to France, said British Transport Police angered many when they stopped letting people join the end of the queue.
Meanwhile, the href="http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_forecast_warnings.html?day=1" >Met Office has warned of more snow and ice in many parts of the country. She said people had been given "very limited information" and what had been passed on was "by word of mouth", leaving passengers "tired and frustrated".
BBC weather forecaster John Hammond said Devon and Cornwall bore the brunt of the snow on Monday morning, with 20cm falling in parts. Wales saw between 2cm and 5cm.BBC weather forecaster John Hammond said Devon and Cornwall bore the brunt of the snow on Monday morning, with 20cm falling in parts. Wales saw between 2cm and 5cm.
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Map Key

  • Land
  • Cloud
  • Lakes, Rivers & Sea

Fog

Light Heavy

Frost

Light Heavy

Pressure Fronts

Cold Warm Occluded

Rain

Light Heavy Extreme

Snow

Light Heavy

Map Key

  • Land
  • Cloud
  • Lakes, Rivers & Sea

Fog

Light Heavy

Frost

Light Heavy

Pressure Fronts

Cold Warm Occluded

Rain

Light Heavy Extreme

Snow

Light Heavy
Temperature tab onlyTemperature tab only

Temperature (°C)

More details from BBC Weather

Temperature (°C)

More details from BBC Weather
Through the afternoon and evening, more snow is expected to cover the rest of southern England with Surrey, Sussex and Kent likely to see the worst of it. Through the afternoon and evening, more snow was expected to cover the rest of southern England with Surrey, Sussex and Kent likely to see the worst of it.
Sub-zero temperatures will persist across almost the whole country.Sub-zero temperatures will persist across almost the whole country.
The Wales Ambulance Service has warned of potential "long delays" in responding to 999 calls.The Wales Ambulance Service has warned of potential "long delays" in responding to 999 calls.
There were also warnings of more heavy snow for much of Scotland and north-east England, with up to 10cm of snow expected in northern Scotland.There were also warnings of more heavy snow for much of Scotland and north-east England, with up to 10cm of snow expected in northern Scotland.
Overnight, it will remain bitterly cold and Tuesday will start off very icy with temperatures well below freezing, say forecasters.Overnight, it will remain bitterly cold and Tuesday will start off very icy with temperatures well below freezing, say forecasters.
The lowest UK temperature overnight into Monday was -18.7C, recorded in Pershore, Worcestershire. Northern Ireland had another bitterly cold night, with -18C recorded at Castlederg in County Tyrone.The lowest UK temperature overnight into Monday was -18.7C, recorded in Pershore, Worcestershire. Northern Ireland had another bitterly cold night, with -18C recorded at Castlederg in County Tyrone.
Thousands of people were forced to spend another night at Heathrow airport and many complained they were poorly treated.Thousands of people were forced to spend another night at Heathrow airport and many complained they were poorly treated.
Sarah Randall, from Hertfordshire, said her family were forced to sleep on the airport floor on Saturday night after their Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong was cancelled.Sarah Randall, from Hertfordshire, said her family were forced to sleep on the airport floor on Saturday night after their Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong was cancelled.
She said her three children - aged six to 11 - were traumatised by the experience and the treatment of passengers had been "disgraceful".She said her three children - aged six to 11 - were traumatised by the experience and the treatment of passengers had been "disgraceful".
Now back home, she said her husband walked through the snow to flag down a taxi on the M4 slip road, but they still had no idea whether the £16,000 cost of the trip would be refunded.Now back home, she said her husband walked through the snow to flag down a taxi on the M4 slip road, but they still had no idea whether the £16,000 cost of the trip would be refunded.
Mr Hammond is to give a statement to MPs in the House of Commons later on the impact of the weather on the transport network.
He said he was aware of the "outrage" of passengers, but he added: "We have had very extreme conditions and aviation is a safety-first business and the conditions at Heathrow have made it difficult for aviation to operate."
BAA spokesman Andrew Teacher said thousands of passengers were put up at hotels near the airport and staff had given out blankets, food vouchers and water bottles to stranded passengersBAA spokesman Andrew Teacher said thousands of passengers were put up at hotels near the airport and staff had given out blankets, food vouchers and water bottles to stranded passengers
The south runway remains closed, but staff were working "round the clock" to get it cleared, Mr Teacher said.The south runway remains closed, but staff were working "round the clock" to get it cleared, Mr Teacher said.
"If there was a crash or a plane skidded off the runway, we would have people saying 'why didn't you close the runway?'" he added. "If there was a crash or a plane skidded off the runway, we would have people saying 'Why didn't you close the runway?'" he added.
BAA's chief executive Colin Matthews said he was "truly, truly sorry" that some people's Christmas holiday plans had been disrupted, and promised to take action to stop it happening again.BAA's chief executive Colin Matthews said he was "truly, truly sorry" that some people's Christmas holiday plans had been disrupted, and promised to take action to stop it happening again.
"When we've got every passenger and every bag where it needs to be, we will crawl all over this to find every single lesson that we can learn," he said."When we've got every passenger and every bag where it needs to be, we will crawl all over this to find every single lesson that we can learn," he said.
"If it's true that this country and Heathrow is going to face... day after day and weeks on end of sub-zero temperatures, then we'll have to have different procedures than we've had historically.""If it's true that this country and Heathrow is going to face... day after day and weeks on end of sub-zero temperatures, then we'll have to have different procedures than we've had historically."
London Mayor Boris Johnson said: "What people are now starting to feel is, a couple of days after the snow fell, it can't be beyond the wit of man, surely, to find the shovels, the diggers, the snow ploughs or whatever it takes to clear the snow out from under the planes, to get the planes moving and to have more than one runway going."London Mayor Boris Johnson said: "What people are now starting to feel is, a couple of days after the snow fell, it can't be beyond the wit of man, surely, to find the shovels, the diggers, the snow ploughs or whatever it takes to clear the snow out from under the planes, to get the planes moving and to have more than one runway going."
Former Labour Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said: "BAA has big explaining to do... it is making Britain look like a Third World country in terms of its transport systems."Former Labour Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said: "BAA has big explaining to do... it is making Britain look like a Third World country in terms of its transport systems."
BA chief executive Willie Walsh admitted the company had not done enough to communicate with passengers already at Heathrow about their flights.BA chief executive Willie Walsh admitted the company had not done enough to communicate with passengers already at Heathrow about their flights.
The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for France, warning of disruption to road, rail and air travel in the country.The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for France, warning of disruption to road, rail and air travel in the country.
Most schools in England have already closed for the Christmas break but 472 schools shut early in Northern Ireland, 170 in Wales and at least 50 in Scotland.Most schools in England have already closed for the Christmas break but 472 schools shut early in Northern Ireland, 170 in Wales and at least 50 in Scotland.
The bad weather has also led to a sharp drop in the number of people at the shops over the weekend, with retail research group Synovate saying the footfall throughout the UK was down by nearly 25% compared to the same time last year.
The Highways Agency said it was doing its best to keep major roads in England clear, but advised motorists to check traffic and weather conditions before deciding whether to head out.The Highways Agency said it was doing its best to keep major roads in England clear, but advised motorists to check traffic and weather conditions before deciding whether to head out.
Frozen Britain - a BBC News special programme on the disruption caused by the recent severe weather will be broadcast on BBC at 1930GMT on Monday, 20 December.Frozen Britain - a BBC News special programme on the disruption caused by the recent severe weather will be broadcast on BBC at 1930GMT on Monday, 20 December.
Have you been affected by the heavy snow and ice or have your travel plans been disrupted? You can send us your experiences using the form below:Have you been affected by the heavy snow and ice or have your travel plans been disrupted? You can send us your experiences using the form below:
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.
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