Severe winter weather has brought travel chaos across the UK as heavy snow and freezing rain continue to cause disruptions, marking a tumultuous start to the new year. The Met Office has issued two amber weather warnings affecting England and Wales, predicting accumulations of 3cm to 7cm of snow, and on higher ground, even more significant depths due to the cold snap.
An amber warning for snow and freezing rain spans much of Wales and the Midlands extending as far north as Manchester, remaining effective until midday Sunday. “Higher ground could see accumulations of between 15cm and 30cm,” warned the Met Office, highlighting the impact on rural communities potentially becoming isolated due to the extreme weather.
Travel disruptions were immediate, with Manchester and Liverpool John Lennon Airports both forced to close their runways on Sunday morning due to heavy snowfall. "Our teams are working to clear them as quickly as possible," Manchester Airport stated, emphasizing their efforts to resume normal operations. By late morning, both airports managed to reopen, but Leeds Bradford Airport continued to face challenges, keeping its runway closed.
Meanwhile, Birmingham Airport reported suspensions overnight for snow clearing and safety reasons, informing passengers it was back on schedule for business as usual by morning. Figures from the Met Office noted substantial snowfall, with Bingley, West Yorkshire recording up to 12cm by 7 am on Sunday and various regions expecting continued snowfall throughout the day.
Rail services were not spared from the weather's wrath. The Northern railway network reported significant disruptions. A spokesperson noted the line between Brighouse and Halifax was closed, preventing trains from running between Leeds and Halifax. The organization also indicated severe weather conditions rendered routes between Darlington and Bishop Auckland completely blocked.
The impact extended to passenger safety incidents, including the temporary closure of Gatwick Airport railway station following a fire incident believed to be caused by electrical faults. West Sussex Fire & Rescue explained, “At 12.34pm we were alerted to a small fire involving a passenger train at Gatwick Railway Station, South Terminal.” Staff swiftly evacuated all passengers amid rising smoke and flames, and fortunately, there were no reported injuries.
BBC5 Live presenter Clare McDonnell, who was on the affected train, recounted her experience, stating, “Passengers on the platform ran away as smoke started coming to the carriage next to mine.” She praised the calm response and efforts of the staff on site during the crisis.
Additional challenges presented themselves as the National Grid scrambled to restore power to households affected by outages across Midlands and south-western England. The company continues to monitor outages across regions, including areas like Birmingham, Bristol, and Cardiff, where additional emergency measures have since been activated.
On the roadway, National Highways issued warnings for adverse conditions due to snow, particularly affecting routes through northern England. Reports indicated up to 25cm of snow could accumulate on major motorways, prompting closures on key routes like the A628 Woodhead Pass.
Health agencies have responded by issuing cold weather health alerts to mitigate risks associated with the frigid conditions. The UK Health Security Agency highlighted alarming projections of increased deaths due to the prolonged cold snap and have urged councils to activate emergency protocols to safeguard vulnerable populations, especially rough sleepers.
"Councils across London and southern England have activated emergency measures including additional accommodation to help rough sleepers stay safe during the cold snap," the agency noted, emphasizing the importance of community action during hazardous weather.
Looking forward, forecasts suggest continued wintry weather, particularly impacting northern Scotland and southern regions where sleet and snow may persist until early next week. The Met Office predicts conditions will ease slightly from midweek but warns of returning wintry showers.
While many prepare to adapt to the challenging conditions, the community remains hopeful for clear skies and milder weather. With the weekend snow intensifying disruptions, all eyes will be on recovery efforts as UK citizens brace for the rest of the cold week to come.