UK braces for further travel chaos as more snow blankets England

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/30/uk-snow-weather-travel-chaos-ice-england-school-closed

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Britons have been warned to brace themselves for further travel disruption after fresh snow fell in large parts of northern England overnight, while other places woke up coated in ice and slush.

Gritters and snow ploughs were out in force on Friday morning as winter tightened its grip on large swaths of the UK.

Several centimetres of fresh snow fell on Greater Manchester overnight, with dozens of schools closed and bus firm Stagecoach warning passengers to expect delays.

Manchester airport remained open at 7am, after reopening late on Thursday after the “thundersnow” storm grounded flights for several hours.

The Met Office has issued severe weather alerts for Yorkshire, the north-west and north-east of England, warning that a wintry blast of cold weather, icy conditions and heavy snow posed health risks to vulnerable patients.

Yellow warnings were in place for much of the rest of England.

Even some parts of Greater London woke up to snow, although the capital’s light dusting paled in comparison with the 23cm-deep (9in) blankets of snow seen in some parts of the UK on Thursday.

Related: Snow in the UK: share your photos and experiences

Helen Roberts, a forecaster at the Met Office, said ice would be the main hazard as Britons braved the roads on Friday. “We could see some more sleet and snow coming in from the north-west – the remnants of it could clip the south-east and as far south as London,” she said.

“The chances are that by the time it reaches the south it will be less intense, but there could be a light dusting of snow over those areas.

“I imagine there will be more transport problems, with the ice potentially being more of a hazard than snow. The strength of the wind is making things feel extremely raw.”

In Scotland, snow covered the hills and high ground, with icy patches across the rest of the country. Severe gale force winds are expected on the west coast and far north on Friday evening, with temperatures falling below zero in some places.

It comes after thundersnow storms lashed Britain on Thursday, forcing 300 schools to close while roads ground to a halt and flights were cancelled.

Holidaymakers were left stranded as Manchester airport closed both of its runways for several hours and flights were suspended at East Midlands airport.

The disruption was so severe that David Cameron announced on Twitter that he had asked for updates on the weather and measures taken to keep transport systems and energy supplies running.

The prime minister said: “I have asked for an update on our heavy snow contingency plans. The gritters are out and people should listen to warnings.”

Northern parts of the UK were worst hit by the snow storms. Tulloch Bridge in Inverness-shire had 23cm of snow, while there was 21cm at Glenanne in Armagh and Spadeadam in Cumbria had 13cm.

A fierce Arctic blast will sweep the country on Saturday and Sunday, bringing snow across the north and down the south-west and east coasts of England and East Anglia.