Britain was hit by travel chaos on Thursday as much of the country was covered by a thick blanket of snow at the height of the morning rush-hour.
There were delays on railways and roads, while airports across Britain were forced to close as snow and ice made it too dangerous for flights to take off and land.
Runways at Birmingham, Bristol, Luton, Stansted and Cardiff were closed to all flights to allow workers to clear the snow.
”We’re doing all we can to get the runway open,” a Stansted spokesperson said. ”They’re out there clearing the snow, but it is still snowing. If it comes down as quickly as they clear it, the runway could cover again.”
A Luton airport spokesperson said passengers should expect delays or possible cancellations. All morning flights were cancelled at London City Airport.
The runway at Gatwick Airport was shut briefly before reopening.
At Heathrow, 26 flights were cancelled, although the airport and its runways remained opened.
The Metropolitan Office said many areas will receive 5cm to 10cm of snow, although the wintry showers will ease during the day.
Temperatures will plummet overnight to as low as minus four degrees Celsius, bringing the risk of icy roads and freezing fog, a spokesperson said.
The Highways Agency (HA) warned drivers to check weather forecasts and road conditions before setting out.
”If the weather is severe, don’t travel unless your journey is essential,” the HA said.
The agency had put 400 salt-spreading vehicles on standby and all England’s motorways and major roads were treated before the snow arrived.
Schools were closed in Birmingham and Southern Railways warned there could be delays because of points failures.
Network Rail said train lines in Kent and Sussex were most vulnerable to snow and ice because they take their power from the rails rather than overhead lines.
Special trains will be used to de-ice the tracks and spray anti-freeze while heaters will stop points from freezing and causing delays.
Snow-plough trains will be deployed if there is heavy snow and a helicopter will be used to spot the worst-affected areas.
Eurostar trains were unaffected by the weather.
There were severe delays and closures across the London Underground system. The Bakerloo, Jubilee and Metropolitan lines were among the worst affected. — Reuters