Gatwick airport closes as UK snow creates major travel problems

Gatwick airport closes as UK snow creates major travel problems

Eurostar trains delayed, scores of other rail services cancelled and motorways blocked – with more snow predicted

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* Martin Wainwright
* guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 1 December 2010 10.35 GMT
* Article history

A pride of lions tiptoe through the snow at Blair Drummond safari park near Stirling as temperatures fall throughout Scotland Link to this video

Britain's second busiest airport has closed for the day as the early winter tightens its grip on battered transport systems across the UK.

Efforts to clear the runways at Gatwick overnight failed in the face of repeated falls of fresh snow and there will now be no flights in or out until at least 6am tomorrow.

Eurostar services, which caused national controversy when they failed in February last year, are also delayed by an hour because of snow in northern France as well as the UK, while scores of other trains have been cancelled. Major disruption is affecting timetables in Scotland and down the east coast of England, as well as commuter services in London – where two trains were stuck for five hours last night after points froze.

Motorways are also in trouble, with the Forth road bridge and Dartford crossing both closed, part of the M3 shut and the A1 northbound at Catterick in North Yorkshire blocked by two jackknifed lorries. There are also major delays on the M1 in Derbyshire and the M25 London Orbital in Kent and Essex. Driving on the trans-Pennine M62 is described as "difficult" on the Yorkshire side.

A spokeswoman for Gatwick said: "We brought in extra people to try to clear the runway. We had a vast army of people. But as fast as they were clearing the snow, the quicker it settled again.

"We have had about 6in of snow and more is forecast, so we have taken the decision to cease flights."

Passengers already at the airport are being looked after, she said, and efforts are being made to help them with transport to return home or find hotels.

And scant let-up is expected in the waves of snow arriving on chilly north-easterly winds from Scandinavia until the weekend at the earliest. Temperatures fell to their lowest yet in the coldest end to November for 17 years. They dropped to -19.8C (-3.6F) in Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands, creeping towards the UK record of -23C (-9.4F). Up to 6in (15cm) of snow is expected on higher ground across the UK, with strong 30mph north-easterly winds expected to make temperatures as low as -7C today.

David Price, a forecaster at the Met Office said: "It will remain bitterly cold with fresh snowfall across the majority of the country. The only areas really due to escape are the Midlands, the far south-west of England and the west and north-west of Scotland. On Friday we should expect a reprieve from the showers. However, it will remain extremely cold and the snow will be back over the weekend."

More than half the country was late for work this morning because of the snow, according to a survey of 850 firms which adds to concern about the early winter's damage to the UK's economic recovery.

Just over 57% of staff failed to get in on time, says the snap check by the employment law firm Peninsular, as roads jammed for a sixth day and public transport was severely hit.

The weather's cost to the economy is also being highlighted by drivers' organisations, with gritters unable to reach trouble spots in many areas.

Winter planners were accused by the AA of concentrating too much on gritting supplies after last year's shortages, rather than how to get them out rapidly before accidents disrupt access.

Paul Watters, the group's head of policy, said that AA Land Rovers fitted with kinetic ropes used by the Army to rescue stranded tanks had hauled more than 500 vehicles out of drifts. But blockages had still foiled gritters in many areas, adding to the chaos.

The Humber Bridge joined closures this morning after a lorry became stuck on the northbound lanes. Traffic is also stuck on the A15 and the M8, M9 and A1 or down to one lane in Scotland.

Watters said: "Britain has lost tens of millions of pounds over the last few days due to road stagnation. We have had people trapped on motorways for hours on end and that is unacceptable. In the 21st century we should not have people stuck on the motorway all night."

The national rail regulator warned train companies this morning that there would be no excuse for failure to keep travellers informed of disruption and delays. Scrutiny teams from the Office of Rail Regulation have started their winter monitoring early, after a critical report from the campaign group Passenger Focus which listed "hopelessly vague" announcements to passengers stuck on freezing platforms. The survey published today finds little more than a third of travellers satisfied with current levels of information.

Bill Emery, chief executive of the ORR, said: "We will publish examples of successes, to encourage and share best practice. But we will name and shame any who consistently fail to meet required standards.

"Should we continue to fail to see improvement, we will also explore options with the Department for Transport for taking action against poor performers."

Bus services have been suspended in Sheffield, Doncaster and Rotherham because of "unsafe" roads and ScotRail has been unable to run replacement buses for trains cancelled on the Cathcart Circle line and between Glasgow and Kilmarnock. Other major train disruption includes cancellations between Gatwick and Reigate; London and Hastings; and Dartford and other Southeastern services.

Schools on Exmoor were closed after children were taken home yesterday on tractors, but in Stirling the premiere of the Christmas show Mr Snow went ahead. Steven Rae, of the Macrobert Centre said that the theatre's other production, Snow White, had been cancelled because school parties could not come, but Mr Snow's premiere had filled 90 of the 110 seats and the weather had "helped the cast get into character".

North East Lincolnshire NHS trust appealed this morning for 4x4 drivers to help get medical staff to work at the Diana, Princess of Wales hospital in Grimsby. Midwives in Hexham were taken to work by tractor, thanks to local dairy farmer Darren Willey.

The Royal Armouries museum in Leeds closed because of problems getting staff home later day. A suspected burglar was arrested in Coventry after police followed footprints in the snow to a 28-year-old man hiding, shivering, behind a hedge.

Blogger: In Malaysia, we have rain and when it is raining heavily, we will face flood problems. In UK, if the snow is heavy, it will create major travel problems as well just like at the present time. Back to the Hexagrams, so we see mountain and water, meng gua. It is the excessive snow that gives problem. 2010 Malaysia nation gua, meng gua seems to have extended to Europe as well.