- Major road closures announced
- Flights cancelled as airports warn of ongoing delays
- Most train operators have announced delays and cancellations
- Temperatures could plummet to -15 by midweek
- Dozens of schools in Scotland are closed
Commuters are facing major travel disruption after severe weather overnight saw heavy snow and temperatures plummet.
Amber and yellow snow and ice warnings are in place across vast swathes of the UK, with delays, road closures and stranded vehicles expected.
Trains and planes were also likely to be affected, with travellers urged to check the latest situation before setting off on their journeys.
Police and fire services across the UK reported having to rescue stranded vehicles and deal with crashes as several more centimetres of snow fell in some parts. Temperatures plummeted again overnight, with Benson in Oxfordshire recording a low of -10C.
Dozens of schools in Scotland will remain closed on Wednesday, including all schools in East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, Fife, Stirling and Fulbrick.
It is expected that the mercury could plummet to minus -15C by midweek where there is snow on the ground, rivalling temperatures forecast for parts of northern Norway and Iceland.
From Thursday, forecasters predict that another weather system, Storm Emma, will bring blizzards, gales and sleet as it meets the chilly “Beast from the East” later this week.
The storm, named by the Portuguese Met Service, will move north through Europe and is due to hit the UK on Thursday and Friday, and will be “significantly disruptive”, bringing the risk of power cuts and transport delays.
Roads
Several major routes across the country have been left impassable following heavy snowfall overnight, forcing police to close large sections. In Yorkshire, the A61 has been shut between Harrogate and Skipton, while further north, in Durham, the A66 was closed between the A1M and A685.
The A1 in Durham was also closed between Scotch Corner and Catterick after a lorry jack-knifed.
Highways England said the A1 in Cambridgeshire had to be shut due to severe weather, between the A1M and A6121 at Tinwell.
In Norfolk, police also reported roads being blocked due to lorries and cars becoming stuck in the snow, including the A11 southbound at Wymondham and the A143 at Haddiscoe.
Trains
National Rail has warned of further disruption to services on Wednesday.
TfL Rail, London Overground, c2c, Southeastern, Greater Anglia, Southern, South Western Railway and ScotRail all warned of the potential for cancellations or delays to services. Delays may continue into Friday.
Greater Anglia faced a backlash from customers on Tuesday after cancelling scores of trains despite relatively light snowfall. On Wednesday the train operator said that due to the severe weather, services running across the whole network will be cancelled, delayed or revised. Passengers were advised to check with before travelling.
Great Northern was expecting to run a normal service, weather permitting.
Isle of Man Transport tweeted that all services were currently suspended.
Flights
Some flights have been cancelled from Heathrow, including a number of British Airways services. The airline said the weather was likely to continue disrupting flights throughout the week and that those for later on in the week are “under regular review.”
London City Airport also said there would be some disruption to services, while Newcastle Airport said there could be some delays while the runway was cleared of snow.
Gatwick Airport said overnight that flights were arriving and departing as usual, but recommended passengers check with their airline ahead of travelling.
East Midlands Airport said it was fully operational, but that it would be monitoring weather updates throughout the day.
Teams at Glasgow airport are working to clear the runway and taxiways. The airport expects to reopen at 9am.
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