Training | 2009.12.18
Heavy snow hits UK Christmas getaway
Airports closed, flights cancelled, trains delayed and roads hazardous as eastern parts of England see up to 12cm of snow
In pictures: England under snow
The Christmas getaway got off to a miserable start today for thousands of travellers who were stranded after heavy snow caused major disruption at airports, on the roads and to rail services.
Eastern and south-eastern regions were worst affected. The Met Office said 12cm of snow fell at Wattisham in Suffolk, with 8cm of lying snow reported across East Anglia and parts of Yorkshire, Sussex, Surrey and Kent.
Gatwick was closed for seven hours on one of its busiest days of the festive period and nearly 100 flights were cancelled or diverted elsewhere.
Luton airport was shut until late morning, with about 40 flights cancelled, after high winds resulted in snow drifting on to the runway. EasyJet cancelled all morning Luton and Gatwick flights and appealed for passenger calm via Twitter: "We do not intend to make anyone angry we are trying our best to assist." Another post read: "You may not get an answer immediately we are snowed under, excuse the pun!"
Ryanair confirmed delays to dozens of flights, with major disruption at Stansted.
There were more than 70 flight cancellations at Heathrow on its busiest day before Christmas, making it another woeful day for British Airways, which saw dozens of flights cancelled or delayed. The bulk of Heathrow cancellations were domestic and European flights, as carriers including British Airways attempted to protect profitable long-haul services.
A series of accidents, including some involving jack-knifed lorries, caused road closures, with a section of the M40 in Buckinghamshire shut in both directions during the morning rush hour.
About 200 drivers on the M20 and M2 in Kent were stuck in tailbacks overnight. The TV presenter Davina McCall, who tweeted about being trapped on the A21 near Tunbridge Wells.
Kent police dealt with more than 5,500 calls early today, double the usual number, and emergency services urged people not to travel unless it was essential. In Essex, more than 70 lorries got stuck in blizzards on the A120 near Harwich, and on the A12 near Colchester some drivers had to sleep in their vehicles until gritters and snowploughs reached them.
Roads in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire were reported to be hazardous, with police warning motorists to stay clear of the A505 between Cambridge and Royston, Hertfordshire. Other roads affected included the A168 in North Yorkshire, the A1M in North Yorkshire, and the A1 in Bedfordshire.
The Highways Agency said it was treating motorways and major A roads with salt but warned motorists to take care even if a route had been salted. A spokesman for the agency in the south-east said it had been treating roads "pretty much all week" and would continue to do so.
Train commuters faced delays and cancellations on routes from London to the coast, including Dover, Folkestone and Hastings.
Heavy snowfall also caused power supply problems in some areas, particularly in the east of England. EDF said staff were working to resolve faults, but poor travel conditions were making it difficult for engineers to patrol overhead lines and reach and repair faults in many areas.Tom Foulkes, director general of the Institution of Civil Engineers, said the disruption again demonstrated the vulnerability of critical infrastructure networks.
"It also shows how dependent we are on these networks, especially transport, and how quickly things can come to a stand still when they fail," he said. "We can\'t stop forces of nature, but we can ensure that we protect, maintain and invest in our transport infrastructure so our networks are more resilient.
He added: "We can also think strategically about how we can create some spare capacity in the system to make our networks less vulnerable to disruption in these situations."
Passengers at Gatwick said concourses were crowded with delayed travellers amid mass cancellations. "We are sitting on the floor, lucky to find some space," said one.
With the cold snap set to continue, the AA urged the 12 million motorists expected to take to the roads over the festive period to be properly prepared for winter conditions.
"With cars heavily laden for Christmas, it\'s important to spend a few minutes doing the basic checks and carry all the essentials in case of breakdown or accident," said a spokesman. The AA said it expected to attend 65% more breakdowns than usualtoday.
Severe snow warnings remained in place for most of today for east and south-east England, the east Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber.
Ladbrokes is quoting its joint shortest odds ever, 6-4, against a white Christmas in London.
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/dec/18/snow-christmas-getaway-travel
