Massive disruptions as snow grips UK

Around quarter of a million travellers have been forced to put their plans on hold as Gatwick airport's closure is extended to 6am tomorrow.

Edinburgh airport is also closed with a tentative reopening scheduled for this afternoon. London City is now open but flights are still suffering from delays.

The country's railways are not performing much better; Southeastern, which runs trains in Sussex and Kent, have issued a statement advising people not to commute by train in these counties unless absolutely necessary and that most of its services have been cancelled. The Eurostar service is also experiencing cancellations and delays of up to 90 minutes due to snow in both France and South UK. Tickets are currently unavailable, though sales are likely to resume on Monday.

Drivers have also been advised to avoid taking to the roads where possible as driving conditions become treacherous, particularly in Kent (which has seen nearly two feet of snow), London, Yorkshire and the Southeast. Extreme weather warnings have been issued in the Highlands of Scotland, with temperatures plunging as low as -18C in some places.

The AA attended over 11,000 road-related incidents yesterday and have echoed the call for putting off non-essential journeys.

Criticism has been levied at the Government's handling of the cold snap, particularly after failing to procure enough grit during the icy period earlier in the year. Shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle has stated that infrastructure problems are costing the economy upwards of £1.2 billion a day.

The Met Office has issued some positive news however, with forecasts suggesting that the current wave of snowy weather is easing up. According to forecaster David Price, temperatures will rise as rain sweeps across the country, with showers "pushing in from the north-east coast and across England all the way through to the east coast."

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