JohnCenaFan28
02-02-2009, 09:27 PM
Thousands of people were left stranded as the heaviest snowfall to hit the UK in 18 years swept across the country, causing travel chaos and closing thousands of schools.
Air, rail and road services were all severely disrupted as Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the authorities were doing "everything in our power" to ensure the resumption of key transport links.
An army of snow ploughs and gritters were working round-the-clock to clear roads as much of the UK was blanketed in snow.
Major airports closed runways and all British Airways flights from Heathrow Airport were cancelled until 5pm, as were all bus services in London and dozens of trains during the morning rush hour.
On the London Underground, 10 of the 11 lines were either completely or partly suspended as the "quantity of snowfall" disrupted services, a Transport for London spokesman said
Motorists, who were warned only to make essential journeys, were caught in tailbacks of more than 50 miles and queues of up to two-and-a-half hours as they battled against the heavy snow across the country.
And more snow is on the way. Helen Chivers, a forecaster with the Met Office, said a large area of sleet and snow showers was moving out of France on its way to the UK.
There were 11cm of snow at Heathrow Airport, 25cm over the North Downs in Kent and Surrey, 8cm along the eastern side of the Pennines and 1cm across the Welsh border.
More than a thousand primary and secondary schools were forced to shut their doors due to the adverse weather conditions. Schools in southern England were among the worst affected.
At Heathrow Airport, a Cyprus Airways flight, CY 332, from Larnaca strayed onto a grassed area while taxiing to the terminal building after landing shortly after 8.30am. None of the passengers were injured.
-Nova
Air, rail and road services were all severely disrupted as Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the authorities were doing "everything in our power" to ensure the resumption of key transport links.
An army of snow ploughs and gritters were working round-the-clock to clear roads as much of the UK was blanketed in snow.
Major airports closed runways and all British Airways flights from Heathrow Airport were cancelled until 5pm, as were all bus services in London and dozens of trains during the morning rush hour.
On the London Underground, 10 of the 11 lines were either completely or partly suspended as the "quantity of snowfall" disrupted services, a Transport for London spokesman said
Motorists, who were warned only to make essential journeys, were caught in tailbacks of more than 50 miles and queues of up to two-and-a-half hours as they battled against the heavy snow across the country.
And more snow is on the way. Helen Chivers, a forecaster with the Met Office, said a large area of sleet and snow showers was moving out of France on its way to the UK.
There were 11cm of snow at Heathrow Airport, 25cm over the North Downs in Kent and Surrey, 8cm along the eastern side of the Pennines and 1cm across the Welsh border.
More than a thousand primary and secondary schools were forced to shut their doors due to the adverse weather conditions. Schools in southern England were among the worst affected.
At Heathrow Airport, a Cyprus Airways flight, CY 332, from Larnaca strayed onto a grassed area while taxiing to the terminal building after landing shortly after 8.30am. None of the passengers were injured.
-Nova