UK winter chill: More travel disruption as snow and ice warnings remain

Snow, sleet and ice is continuing to make its presence felt across the bulk of the UK this weekend, with forecasters warning of the coldest night of the winter.

Travellers have also been warned of further disruption after heavy snowfall forced hundreds of schools to close, motorists to abandon their cars, and airlines to cancel flights on Friday.

A yellow warning for snow and ice covering large areas of the UK remains until midday, covering northern Scotland, most of Northern Ireland, the eastern coast of England and the west coast of Wales.

Also in place is a yellow warning for ice for the southern counties until 11am.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said Scotland could dip to lows of -16C (3.2F) over Saturday night into Sunday and parts of England could see sub-zero temperatures reach double digits.

A low of -15.4C (4.3F) was recorded at Braemar in the Scottish Highlands before midnight on Thursday – just a fraction away from surpassing the low of -15.6C (3.92F) set in 2012.

Mr Burkill said: “Over Saturday we’ll see some snow showers around the far north, the far west and the far east of the UK.

“Elsewhere it’s a cold day again and feeling especially cold in the south where it will be breezy, but for most it will be dry and sunny.

“Saturday night it’s likely to be very similar to Thursday night – we could get down to minus 16C (3.2F) in Scotland, but it’s worth bearing in mind that even across the south we could get into negative double figures.”

Overnight in Kent, police said they had seen an “incredibly busy night” with multiple vehicles stranded on the A229 and the A249.

The force said there had also been “numerous” road traffic collisions and “vehicles going the wrong way on the motorway”.

The Met Office said Kent had seen the most snow on Friday night and into Saturday morning, but it was beginning to ease off.

Although fresh snowfall is unlikely to be as heavy as it has been in recent days – drivers are being warned of potentially treacherous roads because of lingering snow and freezing temperatures.

They are being urged to stick to the main and avoid steep hills and exposed routes, ensuring that their windscreens are clear of snow, frost and condensation before setting off.

Much of the disruption on Friday came in the South West, where up to 14cm (5.5in) of snow caused havoc for drivers and air passengers.

Most flights were cancelled from Bristol Airport on Friday, but normal service is expected on Saturday.

There were also delays and cancellations at Cardiff Airport, leaving queues of Welsh rugby fans facing a race to get to Paris to watch their side take on France in the Six Nations opener on Friday night.

London City Airport closed its runway on Friday evening. It said it would be reopen as normal on Saturday morning but advised passengers to “check with airlines” before travelling.

Trains on the South Western Railway network are expected to be disrupted until 9am after heavy snowfall, according to National Rail Enquiries.

Southeastern, Transport for Wales and Great Western Railway services are expected to run as normal.

In the North, former England captain David Beckham had to call off a visit to Salford City because of the weather.

He was due to watch the non-league club take on Maidstone in the FA Trophy on Saturday after his appointment as a director was formally approved by the FA on Thursday, but the fixture has postponed until Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Football League fixtures at Crewe and Port Vale on Saturday have also fallen victim to the cold snap.

And in Scotland, Stranraer have announced their Ladbrokes League One meeting with Stenhousemuir is off following a pitch inspection at Stair Park.

(c) Sky News 2019: UK winter chill: More travel disruption as snow and ice warnings remain