Watch: Frosty start to week after UK experiences snowy weekend
Passengers are facing cancellations and delays after several major airports in England had to close their runways due to snow and freezing rain which swept across parts of the UK.
An amber weather warning remains in force from the Midlands to Carlisle. Less severe yellow weather warnings are also in force in parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and elsewhere in England.
Until mid-morning on Sunday, no planes could leave Manchester Airport, with all incoming flights diverted elsewhere. Runways at five other airports were closed due to snowfall.
The winter conditions also led to road closures in the north of England and caused disruption and cancellations on some rail lines.
Reuters
Overnight snowfall forced Manchester Airport to close its runways
The weather alerts in effect are:
An amber warning for snow covering most of central and northern England, including the Midlands and the north-west towns of Liverpool and Manchester, until midnight on Sunday. Less severe yellow warnings for snow covering parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and most of northern England. including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District also until the end of the weekend
Orange warnings are more severe than yellow warnings and indicate a possible risk to life, as well as greater travel disruption.
New yellow weather warnings will also come into effect in some areas on Sunday and Monday.
There was 16 cm (6.3 inches) of snow in Bingley, West Yorkshire at 0900 GMT on Sunday, while overnight the lowest temperature recorded was at Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire, where it is fell to -9.3°C (15.26F).
The Met Office said some rural communities could be isolated, with up to 40cm of snow on the ground above 300m, before conditions improve later on Sunday.
BBC/Yunus Mulla
The Gritters can be found all over the country, including Harrogate in Yorkshire.
Manchester Airport has warned that “some departures and arrivals may still be subject to delays” after being forced to close its runways, and urged passengers to check with their airline for updates on their flight.
More than 20 flights arriving and departing from the airport were canceled and more than 200 delayed as of 1:40 p.m. GMT, according to tracking site FlightAware.
More than a dozen Manchester-bound planes had to land at London Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Dublin, Glasgow and Paris.
Due to heavy snowfall overnight, Liverpool, Bristol, Birmingham and Newcastle airports have temporarily closed their runways. Since then, all have reopened.
Leeds Bradford Airport reopened its runway shortly after 1415 GMT, but said disruption was expected throughout the day as it continued to ease heavy snow.
Overnight snow closed the A628 Woodhead Pass which links Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire through the Peak District in both directions between the A616 at Flouch and the A57 at Hollingworth.
The A66 in County Durham and Cumbria is closed between the M6 and A1M due to conditions, while the A1 has been closed southbound between the A639 North Elmsall and the A1(M)/A638 Doncaster in South Yorkshire due to a collision involving a car and a HGV, according to National Highways.
Stuart Irons, from National Highways, told BBC Breakfast on Sunday that 500 gritting trucks were planning to drive across the UK and had stockpiled more than 240,000 tonnes of salt as part of preparations.
He said: “It is mainly snowing quite heavily in the north. The rest of the network is doing pretty well, it’s starting to ease from the Midlands down.
“But obviously as the situation begins to ease and thaw there is a risk of flooding and there could be freezing conditions later, so we are advising motorists to be aware of areas where there is excess water.”
In Merseyside, two safety meetings were held on Sunday morning to assess whether snow and travel conditions would affect Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Manchester United.
The match was given the go-ahead but Avanti West Coast said there would be a limited number of trains to or from Liverpool Lime Street station after all services were canceled on Sunday morning due to problems in its deposit.
National Rail says bad weather is affecting LNER, TransPennine Express and Northern services.
PA Media
A football match will take place at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium
From Saturday evening to Sunday morning, heavy snow affected much of England and North Wales.
There is currently around 5cm of snow in many cities, including Leeds and York, according to BBC Weather.
The heaviest snowfall is occurring on higher ground, particularly in the Pennines and Cumbrian Fells, where there could be up to 40cm of snow by the end of the day, forecasters say.
Heavy rain and melting snow could lead to flooding in parts of north-west England and Wales, while localized snow and ice warnings cover parts of Scotland where it will remain cold .
The heaviest snowfall is expected in the higher parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England, with up to 30-40cm possible over the mountains of North Wales , the Peak District and the Pennines.
At lower levels, disruptive snow is likely, but in places it will mix with rain falling on cold surfaces, causing a risk of icy conditions.
Temperatures are expected to fall again from Monday, and the UK Health Safety Agency’s (UKHSA) orange cold weather health alerts remain in force for all of England.
Additional reporting by Cachella Smith
