UK Snow: Schools Closed, Flights Cancelled As Weather Causes Chaos Again (PICTURES)

Snow Forces School Closures As Travellers Hit Again

Schools are closed, airport runways are frozen over and many train services have either been delayed or cancelled after sub zero temperatures and snowfall brought many parts of the UK to a shuddering halt.

At Heathrow Airport planes are due to be grounded for a fourth day and passengers are advised to check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport.

Hundreds of schools are closed across the West Midlands, with 100 shut in Surrey and 120 closed in Northamptonshire, reported the BBC. Wales has also seen fit to close 90 schools because of icy weather conditions, along with the Borders area of Scotland.

In some cases, parents were asked to bring shovels to help clear paths to enable them to open.

Snow in Nottingham

The rail network is also braced for another day of snow and ice-related delays and cancellations.

East Coast, Eurostar, First Capital Connect, London Overground, Southeastern, Southern, South West Trains are all facing disruption.

Roads, airports and railtracks are all affected

Virgin Trains warned of some cancellations in its services between London and Birmingham and the North West, while services into London King's Cross were also affected.

Heavy snow fall has closed two major roads across the Pennines, the A628 Woodhead Pass and the A66 between Brough and Bowes.

Snow in Nottinghamshire

The Highways Agency said both routes would be closed for some hours and advised drivers to find alternative routes across the Pennines.

Snow in St James Park, London

At Heathrow, some 10% of flights were expected to be cancelled, particularly after 4pm when visibility is expected to be low. Passengers were advised to check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport.

Heathrow was forced to cancel more than 400 flights on Friday, with more expected

Yesterday passengers were left fuming after 260 flights were cancelled - 20% of the airport's usual business - and today 10% are due to be cancelled because of expected low visibility.

Passengers at Heathrow airport were enraged by cancellations

A Heathrow spokesman said yesterday: "Many airports have plenty of spare runway capacity so aircraft can be spaced out more during low visibility without causing delays and cancellations.

"Because Heathrow operates at almost full capacity, there is simply no room to reschedule the delayed flights."

Winter continued to take its toll yesterday. One person was killed in Essex in an accident on the A12 in Essex last night, and drivers are being warned today to take extra care on journeys.

Walking in Studley, Yorkshire

A teenager was left fighting for his life after suffering head injuries in a sledging accident in Middlesbrough and a man was taken to hospital in Kent with broken bones in his face when he was racially attacked after confronting a group of youngsters throwing snowballs at him.

Freezing temperatures and a blanket of snow will continue their grip - though the nation might at last get a glimpse of the sun.

Sally Webb, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the Press Association's weather division, said snowfall would continue to push north through northern England and Scotland today, dumping up to 7cm in many areas and up to 15cm on higher ground.

There will be less snow in the south, with little more than 2cm dusting areas in the east.

"The rest of the week will stay cold, and the snow system will continue to push north through tomorrow morning before gradually clearing.

"For most of the week it will be drier with some sunny spells, with a few wintry showers about, especially on the North Sea coasts.

"It will be cold until the weekend, and then a little milder, and the risk of snow will decrease.

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