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| UK snow forecast to continue next week | UK snow forecast to continue next week |
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| For children who had a bonus day off school, winter sports enthusiasts and lovers of snowy scenes it was a joyful day. For the parents who had to take time out to look after those excited children and anyone who had to get anywhere fast it was much more challenging, as up to 30cm of snow brought parts of the UK grinding to a halt. | For children who had a bonus day off school, winter sports enthusiasts and lovers of snowy scenes it was a joyful day. For the parents who had to take time out to look after those excited children and anyone who had to get anywhere fast it was much more challenging, as up to 30cm of snow brought parts of the UK grinding to a halt. |
| The fun – or misery depending on the point of view – is likely to carry on into next week with fresh snow predicted and icy weather expected to continue to grip Britain. The thaw is not expected to set in until the week after next. On Friday around 3,000 schools in England, Wales and Scotland were shut. Stretches of motorways were blocked, dozens of rail and bus services disrupted and airport runways, including Heathrow, shut for periods. | The fun – or misery depending on the point of view – is likely to carry on into next week with fresh snow predicted and icy weather expected to continue to grip Britain. The thaw is not expected to set in until the week after next. On Friday around 3,000 schools in England, Wales and Scotland were shut. Stretches of motorways were blocked, dozens of rail and bus services disrupted and airport runways, including Heathrow, shut for periods. |
| Thousands of householders, from Pembrokeshire in the far south-west of Wales to Kensington in west London, had to cope with power cuts while some hospitals cancelled routine operations and emergency services asked people only to dial 999 if they were in real trouble. | Thousands of householders, from Pembrokeshire in the far south-west of Wales to Kensington in west London, had to cope with power cuts while some hospitals cancelled routine operations and emergency services asked people only to dial 999 if they were in real trouble. |
| A 16-year-old girl was airlifted to hospital after suffering head and back injuries in a snowboarding accident at Wrightington in Lancashire and police in Somerset launched an appeal over an 89-year-old man, Peter Carver, who went missing from Taunton in the early hours of Friday. | A 16-year-old girl was airlifted to hospital after suffering head and back injuries in a snowboarding accident at Wrightington in Lancashire and police in Somerset launched an appeal over an 89-year-old man, Peter Carver, who went missing from Taunton in the early hours of Friday. |
| The snow began falling in the early hours of Friday morning with parts of south Wales and south-west England the worst hit. The Met Office, which issued a rare "red" warning for the Brecon Beacons and the Welsh valleys, said the deepest snow was at Sennybridge, near Brecon, where 25cm was measured. Higher up there were even more severe drifts, whipped up by winds as strong as 40mph. | The snow began falling in the early hours of Friday morning with parts of south Wales and south-west England the worst hit. The Met Office, which issued a rare "red" warning for the Brecon Beacons and the Welsh valleys, said the deepest snow was at Sennybridge, near Brecon, where 25cm was measured. Higher up there were even more severe drifts, whipped up by winds as strong as 40mph. |
| Across the Severn, 16cm of snow fell at Filton, near Bristol, while 15cm was measured in the Blackdown Hills on the border of Devon and Somerset. There were also significant falls in the east of England, including Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. During the day the band of snow caused problems in the Midlands, the home counties and London. | Across the Severn, 16cm of snow fell at Filton, near Bristol, while 15cm was measured in the Blackdown Hills on the border of Devon and Somerset. There were also significant falls in the east of England, including Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. During the day the band of snow caused problems in the Midlands, the home counties and London. |
| Over the weekend, significant snowfalls are predicted in the Scottish Highlands and there is expected to be flurries of snow in central England, East Anglia and north-west England on Saturday and during Sunday. On Sunday evening another band of snow is expected to sweep across south-east England and there could be one or two further falls next week. | Over the weekend, significant snowfalls are predicted in the Scottish Highlands and there is expected to be flurries of snow in central England, East Anglia and north-west England on Saturday and during Sunday. On Sunday evening another band of snow is expected to sweep across south-east England and there could be one or two further falls next week. |
| Temperatures are expected to remain around freezing until the week after next when the thaw should finally set in. | Temperatures are expected to remain around freezing until the week after next when the thaw should finally set in. |
| Among the problem spots on the motorways was the M4 in south Wales and the M50 in Herefordshire. On Friday evening the M48 Severn Crossing was closed to traffic. | Among the problem spots on the motorways was the M4 in south Wales and the M50 in Herefordshire. On Friday evening the M48 Severn Crossing was closed to traffic. |
| Anticipating the snow, some train companies reduced services and as the day wore on there were severe delays on some London tube lines. Airports including Cardiff, Southampton, Norwich, Birmingham and Belfast were hit. Heathrow had to close both its runways for a time so that snow could be cleared and almost 400 flights were cancelled. | Anticipating the snow, some train companies reduced services and as the day wore on there were severe delays on some London tube lines. Airports including Cardiff, Southampton, Norwich, Birmingham and Belfast were hit. Heathrow had to close both its runways for a time so that snow could be cleared and almost 400 flights were cancelled. |
| The Highways Agency said gritters were out in force. However there were disputes over whether roads had been treated properly. In Newport on the Isle of Wight residents of one street were so upset that their road had not been gritted that they built a barricade – out of snow – and hurled snowballs at police officers when they arrived on the scene. | The Highways Agency said gritters were out in force. However there were disputes over whether roads had been treated properly. In Newport on the Isle of Wight residents of one street were so upset that their road had not been gritted that they built a barricade – out of snow – and hurled snowballs at police officers when they arrived on the scene. |
| There was a spat between the mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson, and the leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the city council, Tim Kent, after the decision was made not to make extra deliveries of grit. Ferguson said it would cost an extra £20,000. Kent argued that not providing the grit cost millions of pounds in lost business as people could not get to work. | There was a spat between the mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson, and the leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the city council, Tim Kent, after the decision was made not to make extra deliveries of grit. Ferguson said it would cost an extra £20,000. Kent argued that not providing the grit cost millions of pounds in lost business as people could not get to work. |
| In Scotland a search and rescue operation was launched to find a woman separated from a group of hikers in the Cairngorms. She was later discovered safe and well. | In Scotland a search and rescue operation was launched to find a woman separated from a group of hikers in the Cairngorms. She was later discovered safe and well. |
| The snow led to the closure of more than 3,000 schools in England and Wales and resulted in the postponement of some A-level exams. | The snow led to the closure of more than 3,000 schools in England and Wales and resulted in the postponement of some A-level exams. |
| Shops were selling out of sledges as youngsters headed to the slopes to take advantage of an extra day off. Skiers were spotted on hills in Wiltshire and on the downs in Bristol. Stores were running short of bread and milk after some householders decided to stock up for the cold snap. In Bath one group of neighbours who found themselves short of food got together and held a snow barbecue. | Shops were selling out of sledges as youngsters headed to the slopes to take advantage of an extra day off. Skiers were spotted on hills in Wiltshire and on the downs in Bristol. Stores were running short of bread and milk after some householders decided to stock up for the cold snap. In Bath one group of neighbours who found themselves short of food got together and held a snow barbecue. |
| In the West Midlands the snow proved useful to police officers investigating the theft of metal pipe. Witnesses said they saw two men with a dog at the scene of the crime in Coseley. The police duly followed the tracks of two people walking with a dog and made two arrests. | In the West Midlands the snow proved useful to police officers investigating the theft of metal pipe. Witnesses said they saw two men with a dog at the scene of the crime in Coseley. The police duly followed the tracks of two people walking with a dog and made two arrests. |
| At the Tropiquaria Zoo in Watchet, Somerset, ring-tailed lemurs have found a crafty way to keep warm, reaching into a heater cage and turning up a thermostat themselves. They have also been taking it in turns to climb into the cage to drape themselves around the heater. | At the Tropiquaria Zoo in Watchet, Somerset, ring-tailed lemurs have found a crafty way to keep warm, reaching into a heater cage and turning up a thermostat themselves. They have also been taking it in turns to climb into the cage to drape themselves around the heater. |
| There was good and bad news for bookmakers. William Hill found itself paying out when Heathrow closed its runways. But Ladbrokes said some punters had already laid money on a seasonal favourite – whether there is going to be a white Christmas. | There was good and bad news for bookmakers. William Hill found itself paying out when Heathrow closed its runways. But Ladbrokes said some punters had already laid money on a seasonal favourite – whether there is going to be a white Christmas. |
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