Travel chaos is continuing on the first Monday of the new year as weather warnings for snow, ice and rain remain in force across much of the UK.
Hundreds of flood warnings and alerts have been issued as a result of heavy rain and thawing snow, leading to fears of further disruption as key roads have already flooded this morning.
Millions of commuters in the UK are facing difficult journeys as trains have also been cancelled.
Meanwhile, disruption continues at major UK airports, where flights have been delayed for a second day, with Manchester, the country’s third-busiest airport, closed for a second morning due to heavy snow, although it has now reopened.
Most of the UK saw heavy snow or icy rainfall over the weekend that caused travel chaos, with runways shut, rail services cancelled, and stranded vehicles and collisions also blocking key roads across northern England.
Today, again, almost all areas of the UK are facing a weather warning, as seven yellow alerts remain in place, with the Met Office warning of travel disruption.
The Environment Agency issued 173 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 304 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, across England as of 9am on Monday. At the same point, National Resources Wales had issued three flood warnings and 35 flood alerts.
Key Points
- What weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office for today
- Major roads closed due to flooding and snow
- Extreme flooding closes railways
- Flight cancellations as major airports reopen runways
- Commuters face widespread disruption on Monday morning
Airports prepare for more snow – with ‘polar bears’ on standby at Gatwick
09:43
Travel correspondent Simon Calder
After multiple airport closures across the UK, and with more snow forecast for the week, Britain’s two busiest airports are honing their “snow plans”. Severe weather shut both Heathrow and Gatwick airports shortly before Christmas 2010.
“At Snowfall T-4 hours, a conference call will be held by the Airside Tactical Team,” says the Heathrow plan.
If the snow gets heavy, the airport says: “Each runway will be suspended in succession to facilitate clearance and treatment.”
Meanwhile Gatwick recognises “seven snow states”. The climatic calibration ranges from “Met Office forecast snow in the next seven days but not expected to accumulate; no disruption to the operation of the airfield predicted” to “Snow is falling and accumulating in sufficient amounts to cause disruption”.
The Sussex airport has a team of winter volunteers are staff who are ordinarily employed elsewhere at the airport, many of them in security. They are on standby for airside snow clearance and are known as “polar bears”.
Seventy tons of grit and 80,000 gallons of de-icing fluid are waiting in the wings. If, despite all that preparation, flights are heavily delayed or cancelled? Gatwick’s “Snow Plan” includes provisions for sleeping areas with beds, blankets, food and water.
The airport says: “We have in stock 4,000 blankets, 600 mattresses, 8,000 bottles of water, 600 folding beds, 20 snow shovels, four baby bottle warmers, 10 travel cots and a mixture of baby food and nappies.”
Read more here:
Key roads and motorways closed amid severe weather including flooding
09:34
Tara Cobham
- Thousands of journeys on the M25 in Surrey are being delayed as the motorway is closed in the anti-clockwise direction from junction 10 for the A3 to junction eight for Reigate after a lorry crashed into the central reservation and came to a rest sideways across the carriageway.
- The M5 in Gloucestershire is closed southbound from junction 11A for Gloucester to junction 12 for Quedgeley because of extensive flooding.
Several stretches of A-roads across England are also closed because of severe weather, including:
- The A66 in Cumbria in both directions between the A1M and the M6 because of snow.
- The A628 Woodhead Pass in South Yorkshire/Derbyshire in both directions between the A616 for Flouch and the A57 for Hollingworth because of flooding.
- The A49 in Herefordshire in both directions between the A4112 for Stockton and the A44 for Leominster because of flooding.
- The A46 in Warwickshire is also closed in both directions between the A452 for Kenilworth and the M40 (junction 15) because of a crash. National Highways said “a car is reported to have aquaplaned due to flooding in the area”. Aquaplaning is when a driver loses control because a layer of water prevents their tyres from gripping the road.
Last night was UK’s coldest night of winter so far, according to Met Office
09:30
Tara Cobham
Last night was the UK’s coldest night of the winter so far, according to the Met Office.
The temperature plummeted to -13.3C in Loch Glascarnoch, Scotland.
However, the forecaster said southeast England was much milder, with temperatures remaining in double figures in places.
It was the UK's coldest night of winter so far. The temperature fell to minus 13.3°C in Loch Glascarnoch, Scotland
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 6, 2025
Southeast England was much milder though, with temperatures remaining in double figures in places pic.twitter.com/2qk8IPziOI
Thousands of journeys delayed as part of M25 closed after lorry crash
09:16
Tara Cobham
Thousands of journeys on the M25 in Surrey are being delayed as part of the motorway is closed following a crash that left a lorry overturned.
The M25 is shut in the anti-clockwise direction from junction 10 for the A3 to junction eight for Reigate after a lorry crashed into the central reservation and came to a rest sideways across the carriageway.
In pictures: Bradford residents wake up to another snowy morning
09:10
Tara Cobham
What weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office for today
08:56
Tara Cobham
- A yellow rain warning for southern England from Cornwall across to Kent will last until 9am on Monday.
- Meanwhile, a separate yellow rain warning covering much of the Midlands and parts of Greater Manchester and Yorkshire is in force until 10am.
- A yellow warning for snow and ice covering most of northern England and Wales is in place until midday on Monday.
- Then, a yellow ice warning covering large parts of Northern Ireland expires at 11am.
- The north and west of Scotland are covered by a yellow warning for snow and ice until 11am on Monday.
- Another for yellow warning for snow and ice in central and eastern parts of the country is in place until midday.
- A further yellow snow warning covering part of the Scottish Lowlands including Edinburgh is in place until midday.
Hundreds of flood warnings and alerts in place across England and Wales
08:48
Tara Cobham
The Environment Agency issued 173 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 304 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, across England as of 9am on Monday.
At the same point, National Resources Wales had issued three flood warnings and 35 flood alerts.
Delays at Manchester airport after runways closed
08:30
Travel correspondent Simon Calder
Arrivals and departures have resumed at Manchester after the UK’s third-busiest airport was closed for a second morning due to heavy snow.
Only one flight was diverted: Qatar Airways flight QR21 from Doha, which for a second day touched down at Birmingham airport. The Boeing 787 is expected to fly on to Manchester, with the outbound flight to Doha currently four hours behind schedule.
The first flight out of Manchester airport on Monday morning, on easyJet to Belfast City, took off at 7.35pm – an hour late. Most other departures in the “first wave” are around two hours behind schedule.
A spokesperson for easyJet said: “Airlines are currently experiencing some disruption at Manchester airport this morning due to the temporary closure of the runway following adverse weather conditions. As a result some flights have been delayed.
“The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority and we are doing all possible to mitigate impact of the weather disruption. We would advise all customers due to fly to and from the UK today to check the status of their flights via our Flight Tracker for the latest information.
“While this is outside our control, we are sorry to customers for the inconvenience caused as a result of the weather.”
Rail closures due to flooding
08:11
Athena Stavrou
Flooding has forced the closure of all railway lines between Derby and both Nottingham and East Midlands Parkway.
This is affecting CrossCountry and East Midlands Railway services.
The operators are also disrupted by flooding closing all lines between Peterborough and Leicester.
Southeastern trains are unable to run from Ramsgate or Margate towards London via Canterbury West because of a fallen tree.
Flooding near Hooton, Cheshire, means Merseyrail’s Chester services are suspended while Ellesmere Port services will run as far as Hooton.
Flight cancellations on Monday morning
08:02
Athena Stavrou
Four flights have already been cancalled so far today after a weekend of closures due to snow.
Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium have shown that a further three arrivals have been cancelled as of now and that the figure is likely to rise as the day progresses.
On Sunday 152 flights were cancelled departing UK airports and a further 136 arrivals were cancelled.
Major airports including Liverpool and Manchester were forced to shut their runways due to the snow over the weekend - with Manchester also temporarily closing theirs briefly this morning before reopening them.
Major roads closed due to flooding and snow
07:54
Athena Stavrou
Millions travelling on Monday morning are facing delays to their journeys as major roads are closed due to flooding.
The M5 is closed southbound between J11a in Gloucester and J12 in Quedgeley due to extensive flooding.
The M50 is also closed eastbound between J4 Ross-on-Wye and J3 GorsleyCommon in the West Midlands following a collision and significant flooding in the carriageway.
Earlier this morning, the M1 J37 northbound exit slip road for Barnsley was closed due to snow, resulting in a number of stranded vehicles.
The A46 is also closed both ways between the M40 J15 and the A425 Warwick following a collision and flooding in the carrigeway.
Manchester Airport reopens runways
07:41
Athena Stavrou
Manchester Airport has now reopened its runways, after they were temporarily closed due to heavy snowfall on Monday morning.
In an update at 7:15am, the airport said that passengers should expect delays due to the earlier closures and urged them to allow extra time for their journeys.
ℹ️ 06.01.25 | 7:15am
— Manchester Airport (@manairport) January 6, 2025
Information for passengers due to travel from @manairport. pic.twitter.com/FiSvAkA6xJ
Travel update on Liverpool airport
07:31
Athena Stavrou
Liverpool John Lennon Airport has confirmed it is open on Monday morning after it was temporarily closed on Sunday due to heavy snow.
In an update on Monday, the airport warned there may still be some flight delays as it urged passengers “to allow plenty of journey time” to travel to the airport.
The airport is open, there may be some flight delays so please check with your airline and please allow plenty of journey time to and from the airport pic.twitter.com/opOvm92ELz
— Liverpool John Lennon Airport (@LPL_Airport) January 6, 2025
Weather warnings in place this morning
07:17
Athena Stavrou
Almost all areas of the UK are facing a weather warning on Monday morning, as many face a harsh commute on the first Monday after the new year.
There are currently seven yellow weather warnings in effect for snow, ice and rain.
- Yellow weather warning for rain for the south of England until 9am.
- Yellow warning for rain for most of Wales, Yorkshire, northwest England and the Midlands until 10am.
- Yellow warning for snow and ice for the north of England, the majority of Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire and northern England.
- Yellow warning for snow in south west Scotland until midday.
- Yellow warning for snow in central and western Scotland until midday.
- Yellow warning for snow and ice in northern and eastern Scotland until 11am.
- Yellow warning for ice for the majority of Northern Ireland until 11am.
Manchester airport temporarily closes due to snow
06:53
Athena Stavrou
Manchester airport’s runways are temporarily closed following heavy snowfall.
In an update on Monday morning, the airport said its teams were “working hard” to clear the runways as soon as possible as it urged travellers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport and to allow “extra time today”.
“The safety of our passengers is our top priority, and we appreciate your patience during this time,” it said.
ℹ️ 06.01.25 | 6:30am
— Manchester Airport (@manairport) January 6, 2025
Information for passengers due to travel from @manairport. pic.twitter.com/IemMDAdH0W
Commuters face challenging Monday morning
06:34
Maroosha Muzaffar
Monday morning is bringing more challenges to UK commuters as they face continued travel disruptions due to severe weather conditions.
More snow, ice, and rain have led to hazardous road conditions, with flood warnings and alerts in place across much of the country.
The Met Office has issued several weather warnings, including yellow and amber alerts, which could affect travel throughout the day. Over 60 flood warnings and more than 260 flood alerts have been issued.
Major airports closed their runways for several hours due to heavy snow, while there were stranded vehicles and collisions which blocked key roads across northern England.
A yellow rain warning for southern England from Cornwall across to Kent will last until 9am on Monday, while a separate rain warning covering much of Wales, the Midlands and parts of Greater Manchester and Yorkshire is in force until 8am.
A yellow warning for snow and ice covering most of northern England and Wales is in place until midday on Monday, while a yellow ice warning covering large parts of Northern Ireland expires at 11am.
The north and west of Scotland are covered by a yellow warning for snow and ice until 11am on Monday, with another for snow and ice in central and eastern parts of the country in place until midday.
A further yellow snow warning covering part of the Scottish Lowlands including Edinburgh is in place until midday.
An amber weather warning for snow - which covered parts of Lancashire, Cumbria and the Lake District - expired at 6am on Monday.
Snowfall on A3 in Surrey as weather causes flight delays and motorway chaos
06:00
Joe Middleton
Ryanair and Jet2 issue warnings amid travel disruption as extreme weather hits UK
05:00
Joe Middleton
Both Ryanair and Jet2 have issued warnings amid widespread travel disruption caused by the extreme weather hitting the UK.
Ryanair writes on its website: “Potential disruptions to/from the UK (Saturday 4 January - Sunday 5 January) due to snow and ice.
“Affected passengers will be notified and any passengers travelling to/from the UK on Saturday 4 January - Sunday 5 January should check their Ryanair app for the latest updates on their flight.”
Meanwhile, Jet2 writes: “The overnight snowfall across the UK has resulted in temporary closures of many UK airports.
“Our operations teams are working closely with our airport partners to get you on your way as soon as possible.
“However our flights are experiencing severe delays in some parts of the UK.”
My elderly mother can’t afford heating – she needs the winter fuel allowance
04:00
Joe Middleton
In its bid to plug the £22bn ‘black hole’ in public finances, the Labour government has let down vulnerable, elderly people like my mother, writes Becky Bowden. I urge them to rethink their stance on the winter fuel allowance
King and Queen brave wintry weather to attend church in Sandringham
03:00
Joe Middleton
The King and Queen braved wintry weather to head to church in Sandringham amid heavy downpours.
The royal couple held umbrellas as they arrived at the Sunday church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk, with weather warnings in place for much of the UK.
Wearing a beige wool overcoat, Charles was greeted by Revd Canon Dr Paul Williams, rector for the Sandringham group of parishes, as he arrived for the service.
Mea Culpa: The Japanese knotweed of weather reporting
02:00
Joe Middleton
We made a mess of saying ‘It’s cold’ in The Independent last week, according to John Rentoul
Skier takes to Northampton hill as snow hits parts of the UK
01:00
Joe Middleton
Met Office updates amber weather warning for snow
Sunday 5 January 2025 23:55
Joe Middleton
The Met Office has updated an amber weather warning for snow in northern England to run into Monday morning.
The warning - which covers parts of Lancashire, Cumbria and the Lake District - warns that travel delays, stranded vehicles and power cuts are all likely and rural communities could be cut off.
It will stay in place until 6am on Monday, with up to an additional 15cm of snow falling during the period over higher ground, the forecaster said.
An earlier amber warning covering a larger area of northern England had been due to expire at midnight.
Forecasters warn of disruption to travel in areas covered by weather warnings in Scotland
Sunday 5 January 2025 23:00
Tara Cobham
Forecasters have warned of potential disruption to travel in the areas covered by the weather warnings in Scotland.
ScotRail advised people to check their journeys before travelling.
It said: “Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are in place across the country until midday on Monday January 6.
“If you’re planning to to travel, check your entire journey using our app or website as delays & alterations to services are possible.
Take care when out and about.”
Network Rail Scotland said it has made preparations to deal with the weather.
In a post on X, it said: “We’re expecting snow move into central Scotland this morning, light initially, but getting heavier. It’ll continue into the evening.
“We’ll see heavy snow across the lines out of Inverness tonight and overnight. A normal service is operating today.
“Locomotives with ploughs are standing by at strategic locations, ready to clear tracks if it’s needed.
“Snow showers remain likely across parts of the West Highland Line and lines out of Inverness for the first half of the week.”
Morning! We’re expecting snow move into central Scotland this morning, light initially, but getting heavier. It’ll continue into the evening.
— Network Rail Scotland (@NetworkRailSCOT) January 5, 2025
We’ll see heavy snow across the lines out of Inverness tonight and overnight. A normal service is operating today. /1 pic.twitter.com/k4RA2zKLK4
Snow and ice warnings issued for Scotland
Sunday 5 January 2025 22:30
Tara Cobham
Forecasters are warning of potential travel disruption with snow and ice alerts in force across much of Scotland.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for such conditions across the north east and east of the country as far south as Edinburgh, which is in place until midday on Monday.
It warns that more than 10cm could fall on ground above 200 metres in northern areas, while further south snowfall accumulation is likely to be “patchier” and generally between 1cm to 2cm.
The latest warnings come after days of wintry weather, which saw temperatures drop to minus 11.1C at Loch Glasgarnoch in the Highlands early on Sunday morning, according to Met Office data.
A warning of snow across northern, western and south-west Scotland is in force until 11am on Monday.
Areas in the south west could see 2-5 cm of snow in some places, mainly above 200 metres, while areas further north could see 1-4cm accumulate.
A warning of snow in south-eastern Scotland, extending from Edinburgh to Lanark and Lockerbie and down to the border, will be in force from midnight on Sunday until midday on Monday.
The Met Office said that 2-5 cm of snow could accumulate widely, with as much as 10-20 cm over the higher ground of the Borders and the southern edge of the Lothians.
Met Office chief forecaster Frank Saunders said: “Cold conditions in Scotland will continue, with snow showers in many coastal areas, and more persistent snow for a time in the southeast.”
Watch: Snowfall on A3 in Surrey as weather causes flight delays and motorway chaos
Sunday 5 January 2025 22:00
Tara Cobham
Ill person sledged to safety after home cut off by snow, according to local rescue team
Sunday 5 January 2025 21:30
Tara Cobham
An ill person whose house was cut off by the snow in Marsden was sledged to safety this morning, according to a local rescue team.
In a post on social media, Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team said: “This morning, the team assisted Yorkshire Ambulance Service in Marsden during the UK snow when a local person took ill, but whose house was cut-off by deep drifts. The team sledged them in our Lyon Equipment Bell stretcher to a waiting crew.
“Everyone wishes them a speedy recovery.”
This morning, the team assisted @YorksAmbulance in #Marsden during the #uksnow when a local person took ill, but whose house was cut-off by deep drifts. The team sledged them in our @lyonequipment Bell stretcher to a waiting crew. Everyone wishes them a speedy recovery. pic.twitter.com/kzoLpEPcAr
— Holme Valley MRT (@HVMRT) January 5, 2025
Met Office updates amber weather warning for snow
Sunday 5 January 2025 21:26
Joe Middleton
The Met Office has updated an amber weather warning for snow in northern England to run into Monday morning.
The warning - which covers parts of Lancashire, Cumbria and the Lake District - warns that travel delays, stranded vehicles and power cuts are all likely and rural communities could be cut off.
It will stay in place until 6am on Monday, with up to an additional 15cm of snow falling during the period over higher ground, the forecaster said.
An earlier amber warning covering a larger area of northern England had been due to expire at midnight.
Ryanair and Jet2 issue warnings amid travel disruption as extreme weather hits UK
Sunday 5 January 2025 21:00
Tara Cobham
Both Ryanair and Jet2 have issued warnings amid widespread travel disruption caused by the extreme weather hitting the UK.
Ryanair writes on its website: “Potential disruptions to/from the UK (Saturday 4 January - Sunday 5 January) due to snow and ice.
“Affected passengers will be notified and any passengers travelling to/from the UK on Saturday 4 January - Sunday 5 January should check their Ryanair app for the latest updates on their flight.”
Meanwhile, Jet2 writes: “The overnight snowfall across the UK has resulted in temporary closures of many UK airports.
“Our operations teams are working closely with our airport partners to get you on your way as soon as possible.
“However our flights are experiencing severe delays in some parts of the UK.”
Voters will thank Labour for scrapping winter fuel payments, Wes Streeting claims
Sunday 5 January 2025 20:30
Tara Cobham
The public will thank Sir Keir Starmer for scrapping winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners and other “unpopular decisions”, the health secretary has claimed.
Wes Streeting said Labour had to make decisions that were unpopular in its first six months in power, blaming “the massive hole Britain was left in” by the Conservatives.
Since being elected with a landslide majority in July, Sir Keir’s government has stripped winter fuel payments of up to £300 for millions of elderly people, introduced inheritance tax changes dubbed a “family farm tax”, which critics fear will force farmers into selling up, and hiked employer national insurance contributions.
My colleague political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Yorkshire records 17cm of snow already, says Met Office
Sunday 5 January 2025 20:00
Tara Cobham
Yorkshire has recorded 17cm of snow already, according to the Met Office.
And more snow is forecast to fall in northern England and Scotland today, with a number of weather warnings still in force.
17cm of snow has been recorded in Yorkshire and with further snow forecast in Northern England and Scotland today, weather warnings are still in force ⚠
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 5, 2025
Read about the latest situation, as well as the potential for further snow next week, in our news release
In pictures: Britons enjoy a snowy Sunday in Yorkshire
Sunday 5 January 2025 19:30
Tara Cobham
Met Office offers advice on staying safe in the extreme weather
Sunday 5 January 2025 19:00
Tara Cobham
With warnings in place for snow and ice⚠️
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 5, 2025
You can stay #WeatherReady by following some simple steps from our partners.
Follow the links below to read their top tips for staying safe in snow and ice
Several major airports reopen but passengers warned to still expect delays
Sunday 5 January 2025 18:30
Tara Cobham
Several major airports have reopened but passengers have been warned to still expect delays.
Manchester and Liverpool John Lennon Airport closed their runways for several hours on Sunday morning due to heavy snow.
Manchester Airport said delays to some departures and arrivals are still possible as staff de-ice aircraft and clear walkways.
Leeds Bradford Airport confirmed shortly after 2.15pm that its runway had reopened but added some disruption was expected to continue throughout the day.
It had earlier warned that access through security could be temporarily restricted due to the high number of customers already in the departure lounge awaiting flights.
Birmingham Airport had suspended operations for several hours overnight “for snow clearing and safety reasons”, but said it was on schedule for “business as usual” on Sunday.
Bristol Airport reopened at about 11pm on Saturday but warned of ongoing delays because aircraft were out of position following flight cancellations.
All the affected airports urged passengers to check with their airline for updates.
Will there be more snow and ice this week? The Met Office has the latest
Sunday 5 January 2025 18:00
Tara Cobham
Will there be more snow and ice this week?
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 5, 2025
Find out all the weather details below pic.twitter.com/b6wb14YzW7
Stranded vehicles and collisions leave key roads in northern England closed
Sunday 5 January 2025 17:30
Tara Cobham
Stranded vehicles and collisions have left key roads in northern England closed.
Snow closed the A628 Woodhead Pass which connects Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire through the Peak District overnight in both directions between the A616 at Flouch and the A57 at Hollingworth.
The A66 in County Durham and Cumbria was closed between the M6 and A1M because of the conditions, while the A1 was closed southbound between the A639 North Elmsall and the A1(M)/A638 Doncaster in South Yorkshire due to a collision involving a car and and a HGV.
The M180 in Lincolnshire was closed westbound between J5 Grimsby and J4 Lincoln due to a serious collision.
Traffic was stopped on the A1M southbound between J61 Bowburn and J60 Bishop Auckland in County Durham due to stranded vehicles on the carriageway before being released just before 10.30am.
The A303 was closed westbound between the A3057 and the A343 near Andover in Hampshire due to an overturned vehicle, and one lane of the northbound A3 in Hampshire was closed on Sunday morning due to flooding following overnight snow, National Highways said.
Unluckiest passengers in Manchester airport chaos have been to Gatwick – twice – in a double divert
Sunday 5 January 2025 17:10
Simon Calder
The unluckiest passengers to be caught up in the snow chaos are those on board Singapore Airlines flight SQ52.
The Airbus A350 from Singapore was due to land at Manchester at 8.35am on Sunday. As the plane approach northwest England, it went into a holding pattern over Leicestershire for 20 minutes before turning south to Gatwick.
According to Jennifer Kerry, whose daughter and son-in-law were on board, passengers were not allowed to leave the plane.
About three hours later, the plane took off for Manchester. But after a further 40 minutes circling over the Peak District, they returned to Gatwick – having to hold for a further 20 minutes before landing at the Sussex airport.
“They have just been given a few snacks in the last half-hour, the first food since 4am,” Ms Kerry said.
“They have now been on the plane for over 22 hours. Talk of them flying up later tonight. They then have to travel across the Pennines on the M62 to get home in this horrible weather.
“Not the best treatment from supposedly the world’s best airline,” Ms Kerry concluded.
The Independent has asked Singapore Airlines for a response.
Met Office’s forecast for this evening warns of more rain, sleet and snow
Sunday 5 January 2025 17:00
Tara Cobham
The Met Office has forecast more rain, sleet and snow in its latest forecast for this eveving.
An amber warning for snow will be in place across northern England until midnight.
Further rain, sleet and snow across the UK this evening, with an amber warning for snow out across northern England until midnight ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/G9CVpCD4GL
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 5, 2025
Is travel chaos getting worse? Simon Calder assesses
Sunday 5 January 2025 16:44
Tara Cobham
For his daily travel question for The Independent, travel correspondent Simon Calder tackles a question from Neil B:
Q: I know you have been covering festive travel chaos for decades, but a serious question: is it getting worse, and if so, why?
Neil B
A: My idea of a perfect Christmas and new year would be to put my feet up and not have to report on any travel disruption. But I fear the chances of that happening are low. Trains, planes, roads and ferries have all encountered severe disruption this winter.
Actually, in terms of the emotional (and economic) damage of travel chaos, there have been worse festive seasons. In particular, the third week in December 2010, when hundreds of thousands of airlines passengers lost their Christmas trips home and holidays from London Heathrow: the airport closed due to heavy snow. The Gatwick drone of December 2018 was extremely destructive, too, with 150,000 travellers having their flights cancelled at very short notice.
It’s important to make allowances for the easy access to information. In previous decades, trying to find out which rail lines were blocked and the number of cancellations at Heathrow would take hours on the phone. And raw data doesn’t go far enough back to allow for reliable long-term comparisons. But in terms of the sheer breadth of disruption, though, this Christmas and new year feels something of a stand-out: snow closures of major airports, flooding on roads and railways; fog and high winds wrecking flight schedules; and, for ferry passengers, a combination of multiple on-the-day cancellations on top of the suspension of Holyhead-Dublin – the key ferry link between Great Britain and Ireland. In a “normal” festive season you might expect one of these.
So yes, things seem to be getting worse. Partly it is because the system is under greater pressure than ever: this year will be a record Christmas at many of Britain’s airports (despite the wind-and-fog cancellations). While extracting so much capacity from such limited infrastructure is impressive, resilience is reducing. Extreme weather, too, is increasing in frequency and taking its toll on travel.
Even so, the vast majority of people will have got where they needed to be – and back – with very little hassle. But I have every sympathy with the travellers who hit trouble.
Manchester airport cancellations impacts 10,000 passengers
Sunday 5 January 2025 16:30
Travel correspondent Simon Calder
Even though Manchester airport has been open for seven hours since its three-hour closure on Sunday morning, problems for many passengers are intensifying.
The Independent has identified 60 cancelled arrivals and departures.
Many of them are on easyJet, which has so far grounded 26 arrivals and departures. Four are round trips to and from Amsterdam, which itself is suffering from heavy snow.
Two of the cancellations are long-haul departures on wide-bodied jets: Emirates to Dubai and Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong.
In total, an estimated 10,000 passengers have had flights to and from Manchester airport grounded.
The longest delay at Manchester today is a Ryanair flight to Berlin, which is shown as leaving at 7pm – 10 hours late.
The airport says: "Some arrivals and departures may still be subject to delays as a result of the earlier closure due to heavy snow in the early hours of this morning. Passengers due to travel today are advised to check with their airlines for the latest information regarding their flights.
"We also recommend all passengers should plan their travel to the airport, allow extra time, make sure they are dressed for the weather and pack supplies for their journey, including snacks and a phone charger.
"The safety of our passengers is always our top priority and we thank you for your patience, and all our teams for their hard work in getting our runways open again."
Snow mapped: Where freezing weather will hit UK with up to 40cm snowfall forecast
Sunday 5 January 2025 16:10
Tara Cobham
Ten weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office, with snow and ice hitting the UK as temperatures plummet over the first weekend of 2025.
Two amber weather warnings were issued, including a warning for snow and ice covering most of the Midlands, Wales and parts of northern England that lifted at midday on Sunday. The second amber snow warning is still in place across northern England and parts of the Midlands until the end of Sunday.
There will be “significant accumulations” of snow over the weekend, Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said, with up to 40cm possible in the worst affected areas of the amber warning. Around 3-7cm is expected more widely.
Below, The Independent maps the snow hitting the UK:
Temperatures dropped to as low as -7C in parts of UK today
Sunday 5 January 2025 15:50
Tara Cobham
Temperatures have dropped to as low as -6.6C in parts of the UK today.
The Met Office said Fyvie Castle has so far experienced the lowest temperature in the country, while it is 14.2C in Merryfield.
This shows a huge 20.8C difference in maximum temperature across the UK so far today.
There's been a whopping 20.8C difference in maximum temperature across the UK so far today
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 5, 2025
Do you prefer the cold or the mild air at this time of year? pic.twitter.com/FTwBIz3Spl
King and Queen brave wintry weather to attend church in Sandringham
Sunday 5 January 2025 15:30
Tara Cobham
The King and Queen braved wintry weather to head to church in Sandringham amid heavy downpours.
The royal couple held umbrellas as they arrived at the Sunday church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk, with weather warnings in place for much of the UK.
Wearing a beig
