Further snow travel chaos set to disrupt Christmas week

Thousands of people face further disruption to their Christmas travel plans as cold weather conditions continue to grip much of the country.

British Airways is hoping that about 60 flights will depart Heathrow on Monday morning, but dozens of cancellations have been announced.

Hundreds of travellers slept there for a second night, amid mounting anger.

Gatwick, Stansted, Edinburgh and Southampton airports are open but expect delays or cancellations.

Meanwhile, the Met Office has warned of more snow and ice in many parts of the country.

A "bitterly cold" day is forecast, with freezing fog.

Southern England and south Wales were among those in the "firing line" for Monday, said BBC weather forecaster Helen Willetts, with 5-10cm of snowfall that could coincide with both the morning and evening rush hours.

There were also warnings of more heavy snow for much of Scotland and north-east England, with up to 10cm of snow expected in northern Scotland.

The lowest UK temperature overnight, recorded in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, was thought to be -19.6C.

Thousands of people had stayed at Heathrow overnight on Saturday, and few flights departed on Sunday, when some 210,000 people had been due to fly.

Airport operator BAA said further cancellations and delays at Heathrow would be inevitable.

It added that beyond Monday there would be continued problems "as airlines move diverted aircraft and crew back to their normal positions".

The BBC's Asha Tanna said: "Airline bosses have been meeting to discuss how many flights will be able to operate once the weather improves but with forecasters predicting further snow and freezing fog passengers are now being advised not to travel and to cancel their trips and get a full refund instead."

Around the UK

On the railways there was some disruption on Sunday, including the suspension of East Coast Train services between London and Peterborough, stranding hundreds of passengers.

No trains were running between Oxford and Hereford, while some Chiltern Railways, South West Trains and First Capital Connect services were affected by the weather.

With France also suffering severe weather, Eurostar said people should not travel unless it is necessary.

It also said speed restrictions and delays were expected.

The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for France, warning of disruption to road, rail and air travel in the country.

Elsewhere in Europe there were severe disruptions at airports in Frankfurt, Paris, Florence, and Amsterdam.

The BBC has received hundreds of emails from stranded plane passengers, with many saying they have no idea where they will be spending Christmas.

BAA said there was nothing stopping passengers leaving the airports and that "several thousand" were being put up in hotels.

However, when asked if the company was confident of getting everyone to their festive destinations, a spokeswoman said: "We are in the hands of the weather."

WEATHER AND TRAVEL INFO

BA chief executive Willie Walsh admitted that the company had not done enough to communicate with passengers already at Heathrow about their flights.

BAA said hundreds of staff members had been drafted in to Heathrow to hand blankets, food and water to passengers stuck in terminals but many still complained to the BBC they had been left without.

A Gatwick spokeswoman said it was doing everything it could to "get passengers on their way" but advised them to check with airlines before setting out.

Stansted, Luton, Exeter, London City, Birmingham, Bristol and Southampton airports said flights would be subject to delays and cancellations.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has asked the government's chief scientific adviser for advice on whether the government should be planning for more severe weather in future, but shadow transport minister Maria Eagle accused him of complacency.

Other incidents on Sunday included:

By 1700 GMT the AA had attended more than 10,000 breakdowns, with calls coming in at 700 per hour
Despite problems in some areas, National Rail Enquiries says most routes are operating normally and advises passengers to call 08453 017 641 for details
Sunday's sporting schedule was again badly affected, after wide postponements of football, rugby union and horse racing fixtures on Saturday
An urgent appeal is being made for blood donors, particularly those who are O negative, as stocks are running low
Companies have warned of a backlog of deliveries which may not reach customers before Christmas

The Highways Agency has said it is doing its best to keep major roads in England clear, but that motorists should check traffic and weather conditions before considering whether to go out.

@mblog

Sunday, December 19, 2010