Maps show where snow will fall across the UK tonight and this weekend amid travel chaos with trains cancelled, roads closed and flights grounded
- Heavy snowfall left motorists stuck for more than seven hours overnight on the M62 in the North West
- Network Rail said multiple fallen trees have blocked lines between Manchester and Sheffield
Britons trying to travel by train, road and plane endured miserable journeys today after Storm Larisa brought treacherous conditions – leaving drivers stranded, rail lines blocked and airport runways buried under snow.
Heavy snowfall left motorists stuck for more than seven hours overnight on the M62 in Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, while in Derbyshire mountain rescue teams were responding to reports of stranded vehicles.
Parts of the A66 in Durham and the A628 Woodhead Pass in South Yorkshire were closed due to the heavy snow, while Network Rail said multiple fallen trees have blocked lines between Manchester and Sheffield. The impact of rail chaos will stretch into the afternoon rush hour with snow and trees not yet cleared from some lines.
Trains were delayed or cancelled on the Merseyrail, TransPennine Express, East Midlands Railway, Northern, Chiltern Railways, South Western Railway and Transport for Wales networks due to weather-related issues.
Air travel was affected too, with the majority of flights departing Liverpool John Lennon Airport delayed this morning. There was also disruption at Birmingham, East Midlands and Leeds Bradford airports due to the snow.
The Met Office has warnings in place for snow and ice today – and while the bad weather should clear by the end of today, it will then be replaced by another low pressure system, leading to further snow tomorrow afternoon.
Storm Larisa battered parts of the UK with gales and blizzards overnight, with a low of -13.6C (7.5F) recorded in the Scottish Highlands. The greatest depth of snow recorded was 27cm (10.7in) at Capel Curig in North Wales.
Meanwhile a Lamborghini Urus worth around £200,000 new was destroyed after it crashed into a bus stop on A64 York Road in the Killingbeck area of Leeds this morning. West Yorkshire Police said no one was injured.
On the M62, traffic was brought to a standstill on long stretches of the road running through Yorkshire and Greater Manchester in the early hours of this morning, with some drivers said to have abandoned their cars.
Kelly-Marie Prentice was one of the motorists caught in the carnage on the motorway and was left stranded in her car for six hours with her 15-year-old son as a blizzard raged outside.
Speaking from her car, she told Sky News: ‘I would say there are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of cars. It goes back for 16 miles I think in one way.
Traffic at a standstill on the M62 motorway near Huddersfield in West Yorkshire this morning (left) and Network Rail weather action teams work to get Merseyrail services moving today (right)
‘We’re trying to keep ourselves as awake as possible and not think about needing to go to the toilet or have a drink.’
Palwasha Afzal, 23, began her journey from Manchester to Huddersfield at midnight – and was still on the motorway nine hours later. Her drive usually takes around an hour.
The credit hire consultant said: ‘I’m still travelling on the motorway, travelling from Manchester to Huddersfield, we left at 12am and we’re currently still here.
‘The motorway is horrific. There’s lorries broken down, cars broken down, there’s lorries spinned on the motorway, it’s horrible. We’ve been here for nine hours. Honestly, I’m drained. Luckily my husband is driving not me.’
By this morning, National Highways North West said there were at least three-hour delays eastbound between Rochdale and Huddersfield and delays of at least 90 minutes on the westbound carriageway between Huddersfield and Saddleworth, where two lanes remain closed.
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