Britain’s coldest night of the year so far has led to fresh disruption today as flights were cancelled, schools remained shut, drivers faced lengthy tailbacks and Eurotunnel passengers were delayed for at least six hours.
Vast swathes of the country fell below freezing last night – with -13C (8.6F) recorded in Shropshire – and forecasters warned of another ‘chilly’ night to come, with a further ice warning in place for tomorrow morning.
Passengers travelling on Eurotunnel Le Shuttle services in both directions between Folkestone and Calais faced huge delays overnight, with the firm blaming damage to the power supply on ‘horrific’ weather conditions.
Hundreds of British Airways flights to and from London Heathrow have been cancelled, leaving an estimated 100,000 passengers now stranded. Most routes have been affected, including New York, Berlin, Dublin and Rome.
A lorry trailer and its cab which became detached near junction four of the M5 in icy conditions near Birmingham today
A breathtaking view across Loch Leven, reflecting the snow covered peaks surrounding Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands
The sun rises over the River Thames at Benson Lock in Oxfordshire, parts of which were frozen this morning
St Mary’s Church of England Primary School, in Britain’s coldest location last night of Shawbury in Shropshire, which is shut
Deer in the morning frost on Ashley Heath in Dorset today, as Britain’s coldest night of the year so far led to fresh disruption
Horses train in snow and ice on the gallops at Newmarket, as Britain had its coldest night of the year last night
The markings of car tyres are clear to see in this snowy car park, as pictured from above in Leicestershire today
Ice climbers scale giant ice walls that have formed on Kinder Downfall in the Derbyshire Peak District near Hayfield
Motorists were warned to take extra care, with AA president Edmund King saying today would be ‘extremely busy’ as freezing temperatures cause ‘even more hazardous conditions on already wet and slippery roads’.
The Central Motorway Police Group warned drivers to expect long delays on the southbound M5 near Birmingham after a lorry trailer became detached from its cab in icy conditions and blocked all three lanes near junction four.
The AA urged drivers to take emergency provisions such as chocolate bars, water, a torch and a shovel in case of a breakdown, one day after it recorded its busiest day of the year yesterday with 24,000 callouts.
At least 16 flights from Heathrow were cancelled today as airlines continued to recover from disruption caused by heavy snow – although the UK’s busiest airport said its runways were open and fully operational.
The bright blue in this map shows the current coverage of lying snow across parts of Scotland, England and Wales
Highways England has been working to keep motorways and major A-roads clear of snow and ice. It said thousands of tonnes of salt has been spread on the M5, M6, M40, M42, M69, and the A5 and A49, with gritting crews also targeting the M1
Motorists drive to work in Leicestershire today after the country was hit by widespread sub-zero temperatures overnight
Simon Morgan returns to the stables of national hunt trainer Fergal O’Brien riding A Wee Minute after working out in heavy snow conditions during morning gallops in Naunton, Gloucestershire
Racehorses workout in heavy snow conditions during the morning gallops at the yard of national hunt trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies in Naunton, Gloucestershire
An oil lorry in the Cotswolds today got stuck after sliding on ice at the River Dunt in Duntisbourne Leer, Gloucestershire
British Airways said it planned to operate a ‘near normal schedule’ today but passengers due to fly to or from Heathrow were given the option of a full refund or re-booking for travel until December 18.
Cancellations have also been reported at Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh airports. Airlines had previously said the re-positioning of aircraft and crews from previous days was adding to the problems.
Rail operators did not report any major disruption due to the cold weather today, although delays across the South Western Railway network were expected to continue until 4pm after a trackside fire at London Waterloo yesterday.
Eurotunnel told customers to cancel or change their plans as Le Shuttle services in both directions between Folkestone and Calais have been hampered by what the company called ‘unforeseen capacity restrictions’.
A snowman is built in Shawbury, Shropshire, after the village recorded the UK’s lowest temperature so far this year
A car makes its way down a icy and snow-covered road this morning on Gelligaer Common in Caerphilly, South Wales
A stunning view of frozen Leicestershire today, as forecasters warned of another ‘chilly’ night to come in Britain
Horses train in snow and ice on the gallops at Newmarket, Suffolk, today after the coldest night of the year so far
The sun rises over a frozen lake at Fairburn Ings RSPB Nature Reserve near Leeds in West Yorkshire today
Ducks land on an ice lake in Finsbury Park, North London, today after overnight temperatures dropped below freezing
Beautiful snow-covered fields around the village of Nenthead in the North Pennines today
A stunning aerial view of a main road in Leicestershire which has been cleared – although snow remains on the roadside
A snow-covered hillside near the village of Nenthead in the North Pennines, as Britain had its coldest night of the year
It has warned high-sided vehicles that there could be a wait of up to six hours from the booked departure time, reduced to one hour for France-bound cars and three minutes for UK-bound passengers in low vehicles.
But customers on Twitter complained of waiting times many hours long and said a lack of information had caused confusion. One even said her friend had been stuck in Calais for ’17 hours and counting’.
Another, Brian Salmon, tweeted: ‘Coach of schoolchildren waited 12 hours for non-materialising train, totally abandoned by Eurotunnel.’ He also complained of ‘a litany of communications and customer service failures’.
A spokesman said: ‘The residual delays this morning are the aftermath of the horrific weather conditions over the past couple of days, particularly in France where there have been power cuts and road, rail and port closures.
A beautiful view of Britain as seen from the skies of Leicestershire today, as temperatures plummeted across the country
The first lot head down the polytack gallop in heavy snow conditions in Naunton, Gloucestershire, today
Shawbury in Shropshire was recorded as being the coldest place in the country last night, plunging to -13C
Nicole Gubb walking her dogs through the snow in Shawbury, Shropshire, which was the coldest place in the UK overnight
Abigale and Debbie Bates in Shawbury, which saw temperatures fall as low as -13C last night
Clear skies overnight saw temperatures plummet to a new 2017 low in Shawbury, north east of Shrewsbury
A man walks through the snow in Shawbury, Shropshire, today after temperatures fell to -13C (9F) in the village last night
A cyclist rides on icy path in Finsbury Park, North London, today after overnight temperature dropped well below freezing
Cars make their way up an icy hill in Buxton in Derbyshire this morning as road conditions remained icy in some areas
‘The tunnel has been running services throughout, but we did experience disruptions due to the weather, especially from the power cuts across the region.
‘The delays are currently mainly affecting high vehicles on the passenger service, everything else is back to a normal service. We are working to reduce the waiting time as quickly as possible.’
Sports fixtures began to fall victim to the weather today, with tonight’s FA Cup second-round replay between Carlisle United and Gillingham postponed because of a frozen pitch at Brunton Park in Cumbria.
The pitch had been covered since last Friday. The clubs drew 1-1 in Kent ten days ago, with the replay winners facing a third round clash at home to Sheffield Wednesday next month.
A Robin on a frost covered post at Fairburn Ings, a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds nature reserve in West Yorkshire
Houses are pictured under a layer of snow and in the grip of winter near Buxton in the Derbyshire Peak District this morning
A car drives along the A515 near Buxton in Derbyshire this morning after motorists were warned to extra care
A beautiful sunrise is pictured over Gresford Lake in Wrexham, North Wales, after the coldest night of the year so far
The thermometer on a car’s dash-board records a temperature of -9C (16F) near Ashbourne in Derbyshire this morning
A rider and horse workout in heavy snow conditions during the morning gallops in Naunton, Gloucestershire, today
Farmers fields are covered in hardened snow this morning in Dunsden, Oxfordshire
The fountains in Trafalgar Square freeze over
It was so cold in London last night that the fountains in Trafalgar Square froze over.
Their contrast trickle was replaced by an eerie quiet this morning as water skidded across the ice beneath George IV’s statue.
The temperature plummeted to -3 last night as Britain endured the coldest night of the year. The last time the fountains froze over was in January 2016 – almost two years ago
Freezing: It was so cold in London last night that fountains in Trafalgar Square froze over. Pictured: The fountains today
Quiet: The fountains’ contrast trickle was replaced by an eerie quiet this morning as water skidded across the ice beneath George IV’s statue
Eerie: The temperature plummeted to -3 last night as Britain endured the coldest night of the year with lows of -13 in Shropshire
Also falling foul to the cold snap was tonight’s second round replay between Crewe Alexandra and Blackburn Rovers at Gresty Road which has been put back 24 hours to tomorrow.
Meanwhile non-league team Hereford FC has asked volunteers to help them remove a layer of 4in (10cm) of snow from its Edgar Street pitch in order to get Thursday night’s FA Cup replay on against Fleetwood Town.
Clear skies overnight saw temperatures plummet below the previous 2017 record low of -12.4C (9.6F) recorded on Saturday night – with the Met Office recording a new minimum in Shawbury, north east of Shrewsbury.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for ice until 11am tomorrow, covering large parts of the country, including the Midlands, Northern Ireland, Wales, the eastern coast of England and parts of Scotland.
A robin in the snow in the Derbyshire Peak District this morning – who would do well to move out the way quickly
The sun reflects on a Northern Rail train as dawn breaks over Buxton this morning after the coldest night of the year
The beautiful snow covered Cotswolds around Lower Slaughter this morning
A woman walks her dog through the snow-covered Cotswolds around Bourton On The Water this morning
After overnight temperatures plummet well below freezing, steam billows from Hindlow lime quarry near Buxton today
One motorist posted a picture of his car thermometer showing a reading of -7.5C (18.5F) in Leeds this morning
Met Office spokesman Oli Craydon said: ‘It will be a chilly night ahead but probably not quite as cold as last night. The front moving from the west hails some more milder temperatures.
‘So in the South West, places like Bodmin, there could be 6C (43F) or 7C (45F), so not freezing, but as we move further east London could go down to 2C.
‘And as we go into areas where snow remains, like Birmingham, it is struggling to get above freezing today and could be -2C (28F) overnight. There’s still a little bit of snow around so that could melt away or freeze again.
‘And there is rainfall coming in from the west, so where that falls on very cold roads that can form ice very quickly, providing treacherous driving conditions.
But it’s still two months until Shrove Tuesday! ICE PANCAKES form along the edges of a river
Huge frozen ‘ice pancakes’ appeared along the edges of a river following the coldest night of the year so far.
The rare natural phenomenon, resembling large white lily pads, formed a stunning sight across the River Tees in County Durham – although they are more commonly spotted in the Baltic Sea around Antarctica and in the Great Lakes of Canada.
The impressive anomaly is created when foam on a river begins to freeze and join together and is then sucked into a swirling current to form a circular shape as a result.
Huge frozen ‘ice pancakes’ have formed along the edges of the River Tees as water foam freezes whilst being rotated in the river eddies
The rare natural phenomenon, resembling large white lily pads, formed a stunning sight across the River Tees in County Durham
The icy circles were able to configure as temperatures plummeted to -7.6C in the area overnight. A Met Office spokesman said: ‘In the area it was certainly the lowest recorded temperate of the year so far.
‘It was clear skies in the early hours over last night and which helped temperatures drop to as low as they were. These frozen conditions helped to produce the ice pancakes that were seen.
‘There will be another cold night ahead tonight with a yellow ice warning as any standing snow will melt and freeze meaning there will be some treacherous driving conditions from around 4pm today until around 11am tomorrow.
‘Tonight will be slightly milder than last night with temperatures staying at around -1C (30F) and -2C (28F).’
The icy circles were able to configure as temperatures plummeted to -7.6C (18F) in the County Durham area overnight
The impressive anomaly is created when foam on a river begins to freeze and join together and is then sucked into a swirling current
‘It’s a bit of a grey morning tomorrow and it will be falling as rain rather than snow, with the exception to that being in high areas of Scotland. We might see wintry showers at lower levels but nothing that’s going to settle.’
The Trades Union Congress told employers not to force staff to make hazardous journeys into work today, saying firms should give staff advice on what to do when snow, ice and a lack of public transport stops them getting in.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said many companies now have ‘bad weather’ strategies in place, including policies covering what parents should do if schools close and they have no alternative childcare.
She said: ‘It is essential that employers don’t force staff to make dangerous journeys for the sake of presenteeism. For many employees the bad weather will have made their commute virtually impossible.’
Frozen River Thames evokes memories of frost fairs
It hasn’t happened in a significant way for more than 200 years.
But today the Thames has frozen over once again – albeit only in a section of the river in Oxfordshire.
Astonishing photographs emerged today of the mighty river iced over at Osney Mead in Oxford during the night.
Part of the River Thames covered with ice at Benson Lock in Oxfordshire, as Britain had its coldest night of the year
It evoked memories of winters long ago when it was so perishing that people used to skate on the Thames.
The Thames has frozen over at least 23 times since the 1300s, with the last occurrence in 1814.
In the past a number of festivals known as the River Thames Frost Fairs sprang up on the river.
The period from the mid-14th to 19th century in Europe was known as the ‘Little Ice Age’ due to the severity of the climate.
A dog walker crosses the weir as the sun rises over the River Thames at Benson Lock in Oxfordshire this morning
And when the conditions were right, Londoners headed onto the river in celebration.
The first recorded frost fair took place until 1608, although the Thames had frozen over several times in the 16th century.
It is said Henry VIII travelled all the way from Central London to Greenwich by sleigh along the river in the winter of 1536.
Elizabeth I is also thought to have taken walks on the ice during the winter of 1564. The last frost fair was held in 1814.
It took place from February 1 to 5, and the ice was so thick at the time that an elephant crossing was held at Blackfriars.
Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said the night of February 13/14 last year when Britain saw a minimum of -14.1C (6.6F) in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, was the coldest night before last night in Shropshire.
He said there was the potential for a ‘dusting’ of snow on higher levels in the coming days, and a risk of problems caused by rain falling in already icy areas. ‘It will take a good few days for the snow to melt away,’ he added.
In Gloucestershire, 36 homes were without power for a second night after ice and snow caused disruption across the country over the weekend. Western Power Distribution said the outage was caused by the weather.
It comes as Green Flag revealed that it received 13,800 calls by midday yesterday — more than three every minute and over double their usual number for a Monday at this time of year.
Paramedics race to help an elderly woman seen sitting frozen on a park bench… but it turns out to be a STATUE
Paramedics dashed to help a woman seen sitting frozen on a park bench yesterday – but it turned out to be a statue.
A worried motorist called 999 after spotting what looked like an elderly woman sitting motionless and covered in snow – and paramedics rushed to Brampton Park in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, where they made the discovery.
Tweeting pictures of it, paramedic Katie Tudor posted: ‘Next, call from a member of the public who was concerned that there was someone sat on a bench, not moving and covered in snow!’Luckily, on our arrival, it turned out to be a statue.’
A worried motorist called 999 after spotting what looked like an elderly woman sitting motionless and covered in snow – and paramedics rushed to Brampton Park in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, where they made the discovery
The statue is known as the Lady in the Park and has been in Brampton Park since November 2014. It was commissioned to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War.
The life-sized sculpture depicts a woman reading a letter sent from the Armed Forces informing her that family members had died in battle.
A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: ‘Somebody in their car spotted who they thought was a person covered in snow and called us.
‘An ambulance arrived straight away and our crew was there for exactly minute and one second. The woman who called us had good intentions, but it’s unfortunate that she didn’t go over to check first that it wasn’t a statue.’
Fellow paramedic Peter Bowles said: ‘Good grief! Perhaps ask the ‘patient’ if they’re OK from a safe distance, if you can, before calling 999?’
The roadside recovery firm also got 49,800 calls over the previous three days as snow and wintry weather swept across Britain, causing chaos on road and rail networks.
AA president Mr King said: ‘We expect Tuesday to be extremely busy as temperatures plummet overnight, causing even more hazardous conditions on already wet and slippery roads.
‘All of our patrols are working hard (to) help those broken down or stuck in ice and snow and we have plans in place to ensure our call operators can travel to and from work safely to answer emergency breakdown calls.’
Forecasters had initially predicted temperatures as low as -15C (5F) last night, which would have made it the coldest night since February 2012. The top UK temperature yesterday was a mere 7.9C (46F) on the Isles of Scilly.
Dramatic video shows how HGV stays on M62 despite swaying in high winds before shedding part of its load
An HGV driver has been condemned for staying on the motorway despite his vehicle swaying in high winds before shedding part of its load.
A terrifying video shows the heavily-laden lorry swing from side-to-side and even switch into the middle lane as the man filming says: ‘He’s overtaking – f*** me!’
At one point the rear wheels leave the road surface and even when part of the load of timber falls over the side of the lorry, the driver continues along the hard shoulder for a considerable distance before stopping.
The dramatic footage was caught on camera by Antony Rhodes on the M62 near Hull, East Yorkshire, on Thursday last week as Storm Caroline battered the country.
The clip has attracted more than 160,000 views and hundreds of shares and comments.
At the start of the footage, Mr Rhodes from Bradford, West Yorkshire, is seen following behind the lorry. As the HGV sways and almost tips over in the wind, the rear wheels of the trailer can be seen lifting off the road.
A man can be heard saying in the film: ‘Wow, he’s going, he’s going over. He’s losing his load there.’
At one point the rear wheels leave the road surface and even when part of the load of timber falls over the side of the lorry, the driver continues along the hard shoulder for a considerable distance before stopping
Remarkably the lorry then begins to overtake another HGV travelling in-front as the load of timber and wood continues to move around on the trailer.
The clip cuts out before the overtake is completed, but a man can be heard saying: ‘He’s overtaking. F**k me.’
A second video taken by Mr Rhodes finally shows the lorry’s load being blown off and planks of wood are seen hanging over the side of the trailer.
Two men in the video are heard saying ‘it’s gone’ as the driver is forced to pull over into the hard-shoulder.
Heard in the background saying ‘F**ing hell. F** ing hell man’, the vehicle filming passes the lorry.
Posting the footage online, Mr Rhodes wrote: ‘When you’re driving home from work in Hull and wind does this to wagon and the driver was completely oblivious… madness. Lucky nobody got hurt.’
The terrifying video shows the heavily-laden lorry swing from side-to-side and even switch into the middle lane as the man filming says: ‘He’s overtaking – f*** me!’
The clip has been shared by more than 400 social media users and received nearly 200 comments, with many suggesting there was an issue with the straps or trailer.
James Parkinson wrote: ‘Not strapped tight enough’. Robert Amis said: ‘I’d say at a guess it was more to do with the load being insecure than the wind.’
Aaron Owen commented: ‘F*** that’s bad! Them straps didn’t even look. Tight over the load either!’
Ian Howard responded: ‘The plastic wrap is tighter than the straps. And I think I would be giving the spring/swinging arm bushes and the shock absorbers a good look at.’
The lorry bears the logo of specialist haulage contractors Henderson of Selby, North Yorkshire. The firm has declined to comment on the footage.