Heavy snow disrupts travel in UK after coldest night of the year

LONDON - Heavy snowfall blanketed parts of Britain on Monday, disrupting airports, train networks and roads in London, as the country recorded its coldest night of the year so far.

Parts of London’s underground network were suspended or faced delays, while motorways were gridlocked due to snow.

Over 50 flights were cancelled on Sunday at Heathrow, Britain’s largest airport, due to the freezing fog. London’s Gatwick and Stansted airports warned that flight schedules could be disrupted.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice in London and south-east England, with ice and fog warnings in other parts of England and the whole of Northern Ireland.

Temperatures fell below minus 15 deg C in northern Scotland, with the Met Office confirming it was the coldest night of the year. Further warnings in Scotland and north-east England for potential disruption caused by weather will start at midnight on Tuesday (8am Singapore time).

The snow caused problems for commuters and holidaymakers at the start of a fortnight when rail workers and border officials plan industrial action.

Several train operators advised customers not to travel, while emergency services said it was important people take care in the potentially hazardous conditions.

Three boys died and a fourth – aged six – was in critical condition after they fell into an ice-covered lake in Solihull, central England, on Sunday afternoon. The boys suffered cardiac arrest and were rushed to hospital after being pulled from the water.

“Searches of the lake are continuing as we seek to establish exactly what happened and if anyone else fell into the water,” West Midlands Police said.

Witnesses reported seeing other children on the lake, which froze during the cold snap, but police have not reported anyone else missing.

Emergency services were quickly on the scene, with fire and police officers wading into the frozen water in their uniforms, Solihull Superintendent Richard Harris said in a news conference. One officer attempted to punch through the ice to get to the boys, he added.

Meanwhile, Britain’s National Grid cancelled a request to prepare two of the country’s standby coal-fired units to run on Monday amid signs of a relief from a blast of the winter weather.

Two units owned by Drax Group had been on hand to plug a supply gap as wind generation dropped and a cold snap boosted demand for power. The grid operator later indicated the units would no longer be needed, according to a balancing notice. AFP, BLOOMBERG, REUTERS