ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

London has been placed under a weather alert with snow predicted today, amid dire warnings for rail, road and air travel.

Before a single snowflake had even fallen in the capital, 80 flights were cancelled at Heathrow due to adverse weather.

The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for London - with snow predicted from 5pm – and has said if it settles it could cause disruption to transport services.

Heathrow cancelled 80 flights.

The services were cancelled due to bad weather. Passengers were booked onto other flights, it was reported.

British Airways said the weather will affect flights flying out of London airports today and have advised passengers to check their flight status before travelling.

A forecaster warned that Thursday evening rush-hour would be when the worst weather hits the city and that continued cold weather overnight could leave roads icy.

But Transport for London has promised the city will not grind to a halt if snow falls in the capital.

TfL said staff were working “round the clock” to ensure the Tube, bus, rail and road networks would not collapse when icy conditions arrive.

A spokesman said TfL has a “well-rehearsed and thorough plan to keep our road and rail networks operating during snow and ice”.

UK Snow: January 2017 12 show all UK Snow: January 2017 1/12 A postman in Braco, near Stirling battlkes through the snow Andrew Milligan/PA 2/12 Highland cattle in the snow near Brough, Owen Humphreys/PA 3/12 Jim Dunbar plows snow in Braco, near Stirling Andrew Milligan/PA 4/12 Snow lies on Tan Hill in North Yorkshire Steve Parsons/PA 5/12 Drivers faced difficult driving conditions this morning on the snow covered Buttertubs pass in the Yorkshire Dales Rex Features 6/12 Snow in Ballymena, Co Antrim Niall Carson/PA 7/12 Snow covers a fence in Greenloaning, near Stirling Andrew Milligan/PA 8/12 Snow covers the roads in north east Manchester Craig Dale 9/12 Cars drive through snow on the A26 in Ballymena, Co Antrim Niall Carson/PA 10/12 Sheep in the snow in Ballymena, Co Antrim Niall Carson/PA 11/12 Fresh snow in the Cairngorms, Scotland Kirsten Shaw 12/12 Further snowfall on the roads in Scotland ‏@trafficscotland 1/12 A postman in Braco, near Stirling battlkes through the snow Andrew Milligan/PA 2/12 Highland cattle in the snow near Brough, Owen Humphreys/PA 3/12 Jim Dunbar plows snow in Braco, near Stirling Andrew Milligan/PA 4/12 Snow lies on Tan Hill in North Yorkshire Steve Parsons/PA 5/12 Drivers faced difficult driving conditions this morning on the snow covered Buttertubs pass in the Yorkshire Dales Rex Features 6/12 Snow in Ballymena, Co Antrim Niall Carson/PA 7/12 Snow covers a fence in Greenloaning, near Stirling Andrew Milligan/PA 8/12 Snow covers the roads in north east Manchester Craig Dale 9/12 Cars drive through snow on the A26 in Ballymena, Co Antrim Niall Carson/PA 10/12 Sheep in the snow in Ballymena, Co Antrim Niall Carson/PA 11/12 Fresh snow in the Cairngorms, Scotland Kirsten Shaw 12/12 Further snowfall on the roads in Scotland ‏@trafficscotland

But some Londoners are not confident that the city’s transport will keep moving and have been sharing their scepticism on social media.

One person wrote: “TfL can't provide a decent service during normal weather their combined incompetence proceeds them @TfL @MayorofLondon.”

Another person agreed, writing: “[London] grinds to a halt frequently without snow so I doubt it very much! @MayorofLondon.”

And one Londoner joked: “Prepared for London to epically come to a total standstill because of a single snow flake #uggsinmybag @UGGUK #snow #London.”

Snow is already causing disruption in parts of the UK after blizzards hit, with heavy snow reported in Northern Ireland, Scotland and the north of England.

Pictures of motorways in Lanarkshire, Scotland, show cars bumper-to-bumper as people attempt to drive in the wintry conditions.

The snow has been accompanied by gales in other parts of the UK with gusts approaching 100 mph on Wednesday.

The wind has caused damage to properties in west Yorkshire and thousands of homes in Durham, Sunderland, Gateshead and Northumberland have been left without power.