Snow disrupts travel in England

Severe icy weather returned in south-eastern England today, resulting in closed schools, and disrupted road and rail travels.

East Sussex and Kent were the worst hit areas by the overnight snow, with ice build-up of up to four inches in some places. The sub-zero weather is likely not to be as harsh as last month and is forecasted to last until the weekend.

Worst hit roads, such as M20, stranded motorists for at least two hours. Meanwhile, coastguards were called to set free an ambulance stuck in Dover overnight, while fire fighters rescued drivers from snowdrifts in Lydd and Margate. Chief Inspector Simon Black advised that people should drive only if very necessary.

More than 200 educational institutions were shut down in Kent and over 30 in East Sussex. Meanwhile, Pfizer plants in Sandwich were closed for the day. In Deal, electrical technicians were working to repair electricity supplies that were disrupted overnight.

The country’s rail system is also affected, with some either cancelled or delayed – mainly on routes around Dover, Ramsgate, Canterbury, Ashford, Eastbourne and Hastings. The Association of Train Operating Companies told that 30 per cent of the rail services in affected areas arrived late during the morning rush. Eurotunnel services were postponed. Meanwhile Eurostar, which was battered by a system failure in Kent, resumed its services although with delays of up to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, the other parts of England were experiencing freezing weather, with the lowest overnight temperature recorded at -3C in Cumbria. John Hutchinson, a forecaster of MeteoGroup, informed that there will be more snow showers tomorrow, but the weather would be much better than last night.