Snow stops flights on weekend before Christmas

All British Airways flights departing from London Heathrow airport have been cancelled between 10am and 5pm today. This afternoon, runways at Heathrow were closed until at least 4pm to allow snow clearing and to keep the airport safe.

Passengers were advised not to go to the airport unless they had a confirmed booking on a new flight.

Gatwick closed its runway for several hours, reopening at 2.45pm after a 140-strong team swept 10cm of snow and ice from the runway. British Airways had cancelled all domestic and European flights from Gatwick between 10am and 5pm.

There are also delays and cancellations across Europe, with airports including Amsterdam, Geneva, Munich and Copenhagen among those disrupted, the airport said.

Passengers are advised to check the status of their flight online before travelling, with flights also disrupted at Exeter, London City, Aberdeen.

Overnight blizzards and plummeting temperatures buckled a huge chunk of the nation’s road and rail networks on what is traditionally the busiest weekend for travellers and retailers before Christmas.

The north west of England was hit with reported deluges of up to 10in of snow causing widespread disruption and accidents on major roads and motorways.

Police said hundreds of motorists were stranded on the M6 in Greater Manchester.

Parts of the south were also blanketed by snow overnight, with the blizzards predicted to dump as much as a foot of snow on parts the South East and the Midlands today.

Temperatures dropped as low as minus 13C in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, overnight with Gatwick producing a reading of minus 11C. Forecasters expect the mercury will struggle to break freezing over the course of the day.

This weekend is expected to be the busiest for retailers and commuters in the run-up to December 25, but many are expected to face misery as airports, rail networks and roads feel the force of the big freeze.

The weather also caused disruption in Ireland where freezing conditions and further snow storms are predicted making travelling difficult across the island.

The two main airports in the Republic and Northern Ireland reopened, but snowfalls that were among the worst in decades continued to cause problems.

There were warnings that many roads remained icy, while northern counties saw some of the heaviest levels of snow in 25 years.

Dublin Airport is fully operational, but anyone travelling was warned to check their flight details before leaving home.

“There may be some delays to the flight schedule as a result of adverse weather conditions at other European airports,” said Dublin Airport staff.

“Passengers intending to travel today are advised to consult with their airline or airline’s website before coming to the airport for the latest information regarding their particular flight.”

A spokeswoman for Belfast International airport said it had reopened, though fresh snow hit the venue between 4.30am and 6.30am.

“We are expecting delays and cancellations throughout the day with Geneva, Liverpool and Faro flights cancelled so far,” they said.

“Severe weather across UK is also expected to cause delays so passengers should still continue to check with their airline as to the latest information on their flight.”

Belfast City Airport, which closed yesterday morning, had reopened briefly before conditions forced its closure again.

There are forecasts for freezing temperatures and further snow falls across Ireland, north and south.