Extreme weather warning as Met Office forecasts 16 INCHES of snow across southern England tonight
- Fears Britain could run out of gas after surge in demand to heat homes
- Entire bus networks suspended, binmen diverted to gritting duties
- Lorry driver killed, thousands caught up in tailbacks
- Two people die in frozen lakes, one man missing
- Shoppers begin panic-buying winter food and salt to clear paths
- Thousands of pupils told to stay home as snow shuts schools
- Business leaders warn of economic impact as staff fail to turn up
An 'extreme weather' alert was issued for southern England today as snow and ice brought transport networks to an abrupt halt.
Heavy snowfall is expected across southern areas of England that have not seen snow so far during this cold spell, as freezing conditions persist across the country.
The heavy snow that has been affecting Scotland and northern England is moving south and the heaviest falls over the next 24 hours are expected across parts of central and southern England and southeast Wales.
Slow motion: Cars trundle along in the snow at Sherburn in Elmet, North Yorkshire today
Stranded: A man struggles to push a car up a snow-covered hill in Wetherby, West Yorkshire, today
The Met Office said London and the South-East could expect up to a foot and a half of snow in some places leading to disruption on transport networks and power supplies.
It predicted exceptionally heavy snowfall was expected from around 8pm with 'accumulations of 15 to 30 centimetres (six to 12 inches) and perhaps in excess of 40cm (16 inches)'.
The heaviest snow is likely in the commuter belt of Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire but up to 10 inches could hit the suburbs of London.
Such huge falls of snow would be more than four times those seen before Christmas which almost brought London to a standstill.
Tomorrow temperatures will barely rise above freezing.
Derek Turner from the Highways Agency urged motorists to drive safely.
'We are working flat out to keep our roads safe and serviceable for use,' he said. 'However, it is very important to drive appropriately for the conditions; and even when roads are treated and appear ice and snow free they should still be negotiated with care.'
The current cold weather started in mid December and has been the most prolonged spell of freezing conditions across the UK since December 1981. Bitterly cold and wintry weather is forecast to continue for the next couple of weeks with further snowfall expected at times.
A spokeswoman for the Met Office said snow can accumulate on power lines and bring them down, affecting supplies to homes. Similarly, snow can collect on branches of trees and if these snap, they can also bring down power lines.
Scotland and the North of England have so far been the worst hit by the snow today.
Airports have been closed, entire bus services have been suspended in some of the UK's major towns and cities, while motorists have become trapped in tailbacks up to 12 miles long.
It comes as business leaders warn of a major impact on the economy as employees fail to turn up for work during what is predicted to be one of the coldest winters in 100 years.
On the M60 near Bredbury, Greater Manchester, a lorry driver was killed after a collision with another HGV shortly after 10am today, while motorists on the M6 in Lancashire were caught up in 12-mile tailbacks.
Going nowhere: Thick snow covers the cars at a dealership in Manchester today
Arctic blast: A young woman removes snow from her car before leaving for work today as the weather causes problems in Davenham, Cheshire
A driver was also treated for shock today after his car skidded on to a level crossing in snow and was then hit by a train. British Transport Police said the 44-year-old managed to get out of his Ford Mondeo on the crossing near Selby, North Yorkshire, before the slow moving train crashed into it shortly after 8am.
The death toll over recent days rose higher after a woman in her 50s was found dead beneath the ice in a frozen pond on a village green. Emergency services were called to Frampton-on-Severn, Gloucestershire, after a dog walker spotted the shape of a body beneath the ice on Sunday.
Bold move: A tourist stands on the frozen ice of Trafalgar Square's fountains in London
In West Yorkshire, a 57-year-old man also died after being pulled from a freezing park lake.
The man, who has not yet been named, was found in the water at Harold Park, Bradford on Sunday night. He was pronounced dead in hospital.
Fears were also growing today for a 36-year-old man who has been missing for two days in freezing temperatures. A major search is under way for Ian Simpkin, from Ripon, North Yorkshire, who left home on foot on Sunday at 10am.
The freezing weather has led to fears that Britain could run short of gas after the National Grid warned power suppliers to use less of the fuel after seeing a 30 per cent rise on normal seasonal demand. It is only the second time such a warning has been issued in 30 years.
It comes as supermarkets report panic buying by shoppers desperate to stock up on comfort food and anti-freeze. Cat litter and salt is also proving popular in icy areas, with customers using it to clear their roads and pathways.
Asda said sales of its thermal underwear had soared by 1,000 per cent, with fire logs up 71 per cent and vacuum flasks up 129 per cent. Wellington boots, puddings and take-away food are also selling well, the retailer said.
Halfords said it had seen a five-fold increase in sales of snow chains, which are attached to wheels to increase road grip, since the cold snap began.
Six inches of snow is forecast to fall today as the icy blast tightens its grip. The South is expected to see the worst of the weather as heavy winter showers move south across England and Wales throughout the day.
Snow forced the closure of Manchester, Leeds-Bradford and Liverpool airports this morning, while ten train services between London and Leeds on the East Coast Main Line have been cancelled and thousands of school pupils have been told to stay home.
Dozens of schools failed to reopen yesterday and remain closed today, leaving thousands of parents searching for last-minute childcare.
Airports round-up
Manchester: Reopened at 12.30pm, many flights cancelled, severe delays
Liverpool: Now reopened, but with delays and flight cancellations
Glasgow: Open, but delays and cancellations
Heathrow: Open, but check with airline
Gatwick: Open, but check with airline
Luton: Open, but check with airline
Southampton: Open, but check with airline
Birmingham: Open, but check with airline
Leeds-Bradford: Now reopened
In the North West, more than 130 schools have been closed in Greater Manchester, 73 in Lancashire and 116 in Cumbria.
Bus operator Stagecoach said it had suspended many of its services across Greater Manchester because of the conditions, but was trying to operate on main routes into the city.
All proceedings at Manchester Crown Court were cancelled for the day due to the weather, while the city centre resembled a ghost town as shoppers stayed home.
Bus services in Sheffield and Barnsley in South Yorkshire have been suspended until roads are made safe and there are reports of widespread road problems across the county. The centre of Rotherham is said to be 'gridlocked'.
Bin collections have been scrapped in many Northern towns and cities, with refuse collectors diverted to gritting and snow-clearing duties.
Thousands of schools have been closed across Scotland, the North East, Yorkshire and the North West.
Hundreds of schools have also been shut across Wales.
Winter wonderland: Walkers in Allendale, Northumberland after heavy snow fall today
This was the scene in snow covered street in Perth, Scotland this morning
In addition to the London to Leeds rail service cancellations, several London to Glasgow services on the East Coast main Line are currently stopping at Edinburgh. The line operator said it would be operating a revised timetable today due to the adverse weather conditions.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport was forced to close at 5.30am this morning due to heavy snow and ice and a number of flights have been cancelled. The airport reopened shortly after 10am today with heavy delays.
Manchester Airport was also closed earlier today and all flights were suspended until midday.
Budget airline easyJet has cancelled 37 flights on its European network.
Grounded: Flights were suspended at Manchester Airport today as tractors attempted to clear the runway
On the roads, part of the A66 between County Durham and Cumbria are closed, while snow on the A1 in Northumberland is causing problems for motorists, with extreme caution being urged.
The RAC said it is currently dealing with around 1,400 incidents an hour.
Major sporting fixtures also fell victim to the weather, with Blackburn forced to call off the first leg of its League Cup semifinal against Aston Villa. Manchester City is due to host Manchester United in the other semifinal on Wednesday, but the Eastlands ticket office and ground was closed today.
The Met Office has issued an advisory for heavy snow and ice across much of the UK today, with up to six inches of snow forecast for Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire tonight.
A postman delivers mail in the snow near the town of Bewdley in Worcestershire today
Jams: Traffic comes to a standstill on the A1 in Newcastle during rush hour this morning
A spokesman said: 'Most places could get some snow, with the showers moving down from the Pennines and Peaks to the South of England by the evening.
'The South could see around six inches on Tuesday evening, while there will be a few centimetres elsewhere.'
Temperatures will plummet to a treacherous -8C (18F) tonight and Wednesday morning, he added.
MeteoGroup forecaster Brendan Jones said the cold spell was 'purely because of the wind direction across the UK'.
'The prevailing wind that our weather comes from is usually from the south-west and west and that means the weather usually comes from the Atlantic,' he said.
'We do get cold spells every winter but, because the weather tends to come from the west, winters are usually mild and wet with occasional cold spells.
Two pictures showing the River Tyne which has frozen over today at Chollerford, Newcastle
'For the last three weeks, since mid-December, winds have come in from the north and east and everywhere in between.
'It has been the complete opposite of what usually happens.
'The wind has either been coming from the Arctic or from Scandinavia and parts of Siberia - all the cold places.
'Our source of warmer and milder weather has been completely cut off.'
In Scotland, Renfrewshire and Fife Councils said they were being forced to preserve salt stocks and warned of 'significant problems' if supplies were not replenished.
The moves will provoke fears that councils in England and Wales could also run out of grit and salt within days.
The sub-zero temperatures and snow showers are expected to continue until at least the weekend.
Forecaster Stephen Davenport said the: 'This is stretching the limits of short to medium term forecasting but so entrenched is this cold-weather pattern that it seems only a major upheaval in the atmosphere will bring a return to something milder.
The BBC weather map showing the snow moving across central and western areas of England today and then moving further east while blanketing most of Scotland tomorrow
'Should conditions continue in a similar vein then by March we might just be looking back at one of the coldest winters of the last 100 years.'
The warning follows another day of misery for commuters - and an extra day's holiday for up to three million workers who used the freezing conditions as an excuse to stay at home.
Business lobby groups estimated that as many as one in ten failed to make it back into the office yesterday after the two-week festive break.
Northern England and Scotland saw the worst of the winter yesterday as temperatures plunged to -12c (10f).
The Met Office yesterday confirmed that December was the coldest in Britain since 1995. However, despite the chilly snap, the whole of 2009 was milder than 2008 and remained the 14th warmest year in the UK since records began in 1914, it added.
Cross-country: A woman makes her way across heavy snow in Harrogate, North Yorkshire today
The Federation of Small Businesses said it estimates about ten per cent of Britain's workers could not bear to go back to work.
Stephen Alambritis, from the business lobby group, said: 'Some will have had a genuine reason, but many are just trying it on.
'They may have just drunk too much and ate too much over Christmas, and they just can't be bothered to go into work.'
He estimates the cost to the economy will be about £600million from lost productivity and lost taxes.
Other business lobby groups said workers who stayed at home were not being fair on their colleagues or their companies.
A car stuck in central Manchester is pushed out of the snow
Fun in the snow: A woman walks her dog in Cale Green Park, Stockport, this morning
The Forum of Private Business estimated the cost to the economy would be lower, at around £230million, but this is still equivalent to a drop of around five per cent in the country's daily economic output.
Chief executive of the forum, Phil Orford, said: 'There may be cases where some staff members are unable to come into work for legitimate reasons.
'But others have clearly view this cold snap as an opportunity to stay at home with potentially damaging effects on small firms and the economy.
'Small employers need their key staff to be responsible, brave the harsh weather and come in wherever possible.
'It is a case of all hands to the pump, particularly given the recessionary conditions we are still facing.'
Many workers may have tried to get to work but genuinely had trouble with their car, according to the AA.
As news of the gas warning emerged today, Gordon Brown said he remained confident that Britain would manage okay.
'I think Britain can deal with these problems,' he said. 'There are always difficulties when we have a long spell of bad weather. But we can cope.'
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