UK weather: ‘Mini Beast from the East’ brings snow and ice to Britain causing travel disruption
Passengers urged to check information before travelling and drivers warned of treacherous road conditions
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Your support makes all the difference.Severe weather has caused travel disruption in parts of the UK as a wintry snap dubbed the “mini beast from the East” tightens its grip.
Road, rail and air travel have been affected by snow and ice and airports including Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted have urged travellers to check flight information before travelling.
Drivers have been advised to take care in the treacherous conditions and police have warned there are no safe routes across the Pennines into Cheshire.
The Met Office has issued weather warnings for north-west England, Yorkshire, the Midlands, London and south-east England.
Snowploughs have been dispatched to the M62 after the weather brought traffic to standstill.
A number of train companies have warned of possible service disruptions, including on CrossCountry, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Heathrow Connect, Southern and Thameslink services.
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Highways England has advised motorists to avoid a number of roads in the UK if possible, including:
Trans-Pennine roads, including the M62 (junctions 21 to 25), A628 and A66.
The M1 between junctions 35 (Rotherham) and 47 (Garforth).
The M606 near Bradford and the M621 near Leeds.
The A66 is currently closed to traffic in both directions between the junctions for the A67 and A685 due to snow. Gritting and ploughing teams are currently working to reopen the road.
If driving in the snow is unavoidable, Highways England has issued advice to motorists to avoid accidents.
Richard Leonard, Head of Road Safety, said: “Gritters will be out treating our roads around the clock, but it is still important to drive to the conditions when snow is forecast.
“Keep your distance and reduce your speed, because even in conditions that seem normal, and where the snow is not settling, it can be slippery if ice patches have formed, or where fresh grit has not been worked into the carriageway.
“Drivers should plan their journeys, monitor weather reports and pack a snow kit of blankets, food, water and a shovel.”
Avon & Somerset Police have warned people to avoid non-essential travel in areas with an amber warning.
An amber weather warning remains in place for parts of south-west England, Wales and the West Midlands for Sunday.
"The Met Office has warned: “Snow will turn heavy in places on Sunday, and may last for much of the day across parts of southwest England.
“Strong east or northeasterly winds will lead to some drifting of snow, especially over hills, with significant wind chill."
↵The snow and ice has caused difficult conditions in Wales. A 4x4 vehicle crashed off the A48 in Bridgend, but the driver was not injured.
One lane of the Severn Bridge is closed because of high winds.
There are major disruptions on Great Western Railway services - you can check your journey here.
There are delays and cancellations at Cardiff airport, with passengers advised to check the live flight information on the website.
Cardiff Bus has said it is running a normal service, with the exception of diversions to Route 45 and Route 61.
Weather warnings are in place across Scotland until Monday morning.
Areas affected include: Highlands, Central, Tayside, Fife, Strathclyde, Southwest Scotland and Lothian and Borders.
Some flights at Edinburgh Airport have been affected by the weather.
Daffodils wilt in the snow in Greenwich Park, London (Reuters/Simon Dawson)
A man walks his dog across a field in Salisbury, Wiltshire (PA/Rod Minchin)
Scottie dog Douglas in the snow in Glasgow, as the wintry snap dubbed the "mini beast from the east" keeps its grip on the UK (John Linton/PA)
More snow is expected for south-west England on Sunday. The Met Office has warned power could be affected in areas and vehicles may become stranded.
“Snow will be most persistent and heavy during Sunday afternoon and evening over Dartmoor and much of South Devon, where a further 10-15 cm is expected and as much as 20-30 cm over eastern parts of Dartmoor," the Met Office states.
“The snow will ease at times through the evening, but further spells of heavier snow are possible until the early hours of Monday.”
A number of sporting events have been called off due to the weather, including the City of Lincoln 10km run which was deemed “unsafe” by the organisers.
The Reading Half Marathon and the Shrewsbury 10km run were also cancelled.
Derby's Championship match against Cardiff has been postponed.
Three Women's FA Cup quarter-finals have been cancelled: Arsenal v Charlton, Durham v Everton and Sunderland v Manchester City.
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