Transport in Britain shut down by foot of snow

Millions of UK residents were forced to stay at home after nearly a foot of snow fell across Britain overnight, blanketing the country and shutting down transportation.

Numerous airports were closed, traffic on motorways came to a standstill and train and bus services were cancelled after an Arctic blizzard dropped the most snow Britain has seen in nearly 20 years.

Conditions were not expected to improve, as more snow was forecast for the day, moving up from the continent.

London was nearly shut down on Monday as bus service was suspended throughout the capital and parts of the Underground network were closed due to the dangerous conditions.

Even with a fleet of snow ploughs clearing train tracks, services into and out of south-eastern England were significantly disrupted or cancelled.

Thousands of gritters were out on the country’s roads, but gridlock was common on major routes.

The brunt of the overnight storm was felt in the North Downs and Pennines, where at least 10 inches of snow fell. It extended across much of Britain, as well, with four inches being commonly reported.

A forecaster with Met Office, Chris Almond, noted that more snow was moving up from the South East later in the day.

www.metoffice.gov.uk