
Britons will tonight endure biting temperatures of as low as -15C (5F) in places while Moscow will be a full 11C warmer.

The mercury is set to plunge well below freezing in parts tonight as Britain braces for the coldest night of the year so far — Moscow will reach lows of just -4C (30F).

Snow has already seen more than 2,000 schools today and wreaked havoc on the country's roads and transport networks.

It comes as Green Flag revealed that it received 13,800 calls by midday today — more than three every minute and over double their usual number for a Monday at this time of year.

The roadside recovery firm also got 49,800 calls over the previous three days as snow and wintry weather swept across Britain, causing chaos on road and rail networks.

Following a chaotic 'Black Monday' that saw even more snow paralyse parts of the country, Britain is bracing for its coldest night in nearly seven years as temperatures are expected to fall to as low as -15C (5F) in places.

Much of the country has been crippled in the past days, following the first serious snowfall of winter - with more than 2,000 schools closed and at least 4,500 homes remaining without power today.

Many are expected to re-open tomorrow morning but some will remain closed, including 180 in Worcestershire and nine in Wales.

Clear skies tonight in Aberystwyth, Wales, revealed the starry heavens above as temperatures are expected to drop to as low as 15C in parts of Britain

Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice were issued by the Met Office affecting Wales, Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland, the Midlands and south east of England and will continue into tomorrow.

The Trades Union Congress had told employers not to force staff to make hazardous journeys into work today, saying firms should give staff advice on what to do when snow, ice and a lack of public transport stops them getting in.

Commuters in London also faced fresh misery after a track-side fire caused severe delays across the South Western Trains network.

Snow has already seen more than 2,000 schools today and wreaked havoc on the country's roads and transport networks today

Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice were issued by the Met Office affecting Wales, Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland, the Midlands and south east of England and will continue into tomorrow

Snow covers fields close to the village of Birdlip Cotswold District of Gloucestershire. Temperatures continued to plummet across the UK this morning as the Arctic blast swept across the country

The picturesque scene in Birdlip, Gloucestershire. Temperatures, which fell to -12.2C (10F) last night, are expected to plunge even further tonight - making parts of Britain colder than Omsk in Siberia, Russia (-13C/9F), and Hammerfest in Norway, in the Arctic Circle (-3C/27F)

Breakdown provider Green Flag had received 13,800 calls by 12pm today - more than three every minute; over double the usual number for a Monday at this time of year

Snowy conditions in Danbury, Essex, today as forecasters warned of freezing temperatures across the country

A boy slides on an inflatable tube at Bradgate Park in Leicestershire as he makes the most of the snowfall today

Cars on the A20 in Aylesford, Kent, edge through floodwaters from melted snow and heavy rain

Commuters and tourists make their way through snow and sleet on Westminster Bridge in London today

A closed sign hangs on the gate of Cobden Primary School after snowfall in Loughborough, Leicestershire

Temperatures, which fell to -12.2C (10F) last night, are expected to plunge even further tonight - making parts of Britain colder than Omsk in Siberia, Russia (-13C/9F), and Hammerfest in Norway, in the Arctic Circle (-3C/27F).

If the temperature falls below -15C then it will be the UK's coldest night since February 11, 2012. The Met Office also warned that another two inches (5cm) of snow could fall overnight.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said many companies now have 'bad weather' strategies in place, including policies covering what parents should do if schools close and they have no alternative childcare.

She said: 'It is essential that employers don't force staff to make dangerous journeys for the sake of presenteeism. For many employees the bad weather will have made their commute virtually impossible.

Cars have been abandoned and motorists left stranded as some suffered crashes on the roads - while thousands spent the night at Heathrow, Birmingham, Stansted and Luton airports after flights were delayed or cancelled.

A quarter of flights at Heathrow Airport have been cancelled, after an estimated 50,000 passengers were stranded last night - 30,000 in the UK and 20,00 in Europe.

Wintry conditions are also impacting rail travel, with Chiltern Railways, Arriva Trains Wales, Cross Country, East Midlands Trains, Great Western Railway, Thameslink, Virgin Trains and the West Midlands all affected.

National Rail are urging passengers to check with rail operators before setting off.

Eurostar has now reopened after apologising this morning to passengers travelling between Brussels or Paris and London, saying that journeys could be delayed 'due to predicted adverse weather conditions in the UK and the rest of Europe'.

And the Port of Calais has reopened after closing for several hours earlier today. P&O Ferries is reporting delays of up to two hours on journeys between Dover and Calais. Ferry company DFDS also has delays on its services between England and France

Tonight is likely to be the coldest night of the year so far, with lows down to minus 12 to 15 °C and below freezing in many towns and cities too ❄️ pic.twitter.com/lQ5Sbe32Be — Met Office (@metoffice) December 11, 2017 Temperatures will drop rapidly this afternoon and into the evening, leading to an early freeze for many parts - take care when you are heading home later ���� pic.twitter.com/c9d3UaB9tT — Met Office (@metoffice) December 11, 2017

Temperatures in Britain (left) will get bitterly cold and see the mercury plummet to as low as -15C whereas in the Russian capital of Moscow (right), they are not expecting to see anything lower than -4C

People asleep in the departures area due to worse than predicted snow affecting Heathrow Airport

Thousands spent the night at Heathrow Airport (pictured), Birmingham, Stansted and Luton airports after flights were delayed or cancelled.

A woman dozes on the floor of Heathrow Airport. BA cancelled 170 flights on Sunday, leaving many planes and crew out of position, and on Monday it cancelled more than 100

The airport said it was operating three-quarters of its schedule on Monday, although many flights were delayed

Heathrow Airport has urged passengers to check the status of their flights before setting off

A 10ft tall snowman was built on the back on a BMW in Stamford, Lincolnshire, this weekend - before it later fell off

A woman on a sledge is chased by her dog at Storey Arms in the Brecon Beacons, South Wales, today

Ashley and Joanne Clarke with their children Evie, three, and Beau, one, at Lickey Hills in Rednal, Birmingham, today

A man tries to keep his balance while skiing in the snow at Storey Arms in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales today

Police said lane three on the M42 in the West Midlands, between junctions 1 and 3, and lane three on the M5 between junction 4a and junction 3, were impassable, with only lanes one and two running on both motorways.

The slip road to Stansted on the M11 eastbound was closed overnight for carriageway treatment due to freezing temperatures, according to Highways England, while Transport for London said its services may be affected later.

Meanwhile a Santa's grotto at Dudley Zoo in the West Midlands had to close for the day because the snowy conditions made its location on top of a steep hill too difficult for visitors to access.

Dozens of flights have been cancelled at Heathrow, seven at Edinburgh airport, and 13 at Manchester. One passenger at Cardiff said there were 'no bags, no communication (and) broken vending machines, so no food.'

BBC Persian TV business correspondent Amir Paivar tweeted: 'National carrier or budget airline? A tiny trace of snow and British Airways flights cancelled, website crashed, phone lines inundated and no answer!'

People out walking in the snow in Cambridge today as many parts of the country were left under a white blanket

People enjoy a punt trip in the snow on the River Cam in Cambridge

A man skis down a slope covered in snow that has covered Rodborough Common close to the town of Stroud, Gloucestershire

A man skis in snow that has covered Rodborough Common in Gloucestershire today

AA vans wait for callouts at a depot near Leicester as motorists are warned to take extra care

A snow covered hill and roof tops near Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire this morning

Snowfall in Yardley and around the A45 Coventry Road in Birmingham this morning

A stag in the beautiful snowy landscape at Loch Tulla Viewpoint in Argyle and Bute this morning

Snow-covered fields around Ballycarroll townland in Aghnahily, County Laois, in the Republic of Ireland

Tala Hajaj, a freelance hair stylist from Sidcup, Kent, told MailOnline her 70-year-old disabled mother was forced to wait ten hours yesterday for her BA flight to Riyadh from Heathrow, only to be told it was cancelled.

Lady Lucan inquest is delayed after coroner gets snowed in The inquest into Lord Lucan's wife (right) will be delayed after the coroner got snowed in whilst visiting Wales, it emerged today. The hearing into Lady Lucan's death was due to take place tomorrow at Westminster Coroner's Court, but the whole court will be closed. A worker at the court confirmed the reason was that Senior Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox is stuck in Wales due to the weather. She said: 'She went to Wales for the weekend and now she's snowed in and unable to return for tomorrow because of the snow. So we will be closed.' Advertisement

Having waited hours to board her flight she then spent two hours sitting on the aircraft, waiting for it to depart. But everyone was then told to disembark the aircraft.

Miss Hajaj said: 'I was on the phone and I could hear her asking staff and they were just completely ignoring her... she said all the information and check-in desks had closed. I then decided to go and pick her up as she was crying.

'When I got there, there was no staff to help and she still didn't even have her luggage back. My mum is 70 years of age, disabled and very fragile, but they offered no food or drinks.'

The road chaos and school closures angered DailyMail.com US Editor-at-Large Piers Morgan, who said on ITV's Good Morning Britain today that the authorities should have acted quicker with getting gritters on the road.

The presenter said: 'Can we get a grip when it snows a bit? If you go to somewhere like New York that has inches of snow drift, if the mayor hasn't got everything sorted then there would be hell on.'

Reacting to the school closures, one Twitter user said: 'When I lived in Sweden as a kid I can only remember school being closed due to the snow once in my nine years going to school. And here it's closed over nothing.'

Another added: 'OK you lot might have a duvet day because there's too much ice out there and the school is closed, but some of us have got to keep the economy going... laters!'

Kenton Keithly, 65, of Woodland, California, was stranded in Newcastle after his connecting flight to Heathrow was cancelled on Sunday and he must wait until Tuesday to return to San Francisco.

Swans gather on a frozen pond in Victoria Park in Glasgow today as temperatures fell across the country

Britain is enduring freezing temperatures as the Arctic blast continues across the country, with ice and snow affecting travel

Two adults sleigh at Storey Arms in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales today

Snow-covered hills around the Holy Trinity Anglican church in Aghnahily, County Laois, today

Walkers visit the snow-covered ruins of Dunamase Castle on the Rock of Dunamase in Aghnahily, County Laois

Sheep graze in a snow covered field near Wrexham, North Wales, today as heavy snowfall blankets the area

Visitors sledge down a hill at Bradgate Park after snowfall in Newtown Linford in Leicestershire today

A couple walk with sledges in Bradgate Park, Lincolnshire, after snow fall in Newtown Linford

Snow falls in Barnet, North London, today after 2,300 schools across Britain were closed due to the cold weather and snow

Underhill School in Barnet, North London, is one of thousands of schools that has been closed across Britain today

He said: 'Speaking with other passengers in the line last night, we all agreed that BA has learned nothing from seven years ago and Heathrow have failed to address the issue of having enough de-icers to cope with demand when needed. Britain obviously doesn't do well in winter. Everything breaks down.'

Gersende Pommery, who lives in South London, travelling with her five-month-old daughter, Emma, experienced 'chaos' at Gatwick Airport this morning and a cancelled flight at the last moment.

Ms Pommery told MailOnline that she was trying to get to Nice with easyJet to visit her French relatives and continuously checked the carrier's updates throughout the morning on her journey to the airport, to make sure the flight was on time.

The airline said the flight was running as scheduled and she was allowed to check in her luggage. But when she got to the security gate, staff refused her access and she was told to go back.

A member of staff then confirmed her lunchtime flight was cancelled. Ms Pommery said that there was chaos, with a queue of about 200 people trying to find out what was going on at the easyJet customer service desk.

Rim-Sarah Alouane was still waiting to travel, without her luggage, at Heathrow more than 24 hours after her intended flight to Washington DC had been due to take off at 11.25am on Sunday.

The 33-year-old, from Toulouse, said she had then boarded a rebooked flight on Sunday evening but the plane was struck by an electrical fault and the passengers had to disembark.

Passengers queue up for information on easyJet flights at London Gatwick Airport today

A family walk through snow-covered woodland with a sledge near Mold in North Wales this morning

Heavy snowfall in Rednal, Birmingham, following severe snow fall overnight and over the weekend

A van with an overhang of snow on its roof drives along a road in Winson Green, Birmingham, this morning

A deserted snowfall in Rednal, Birmingham, following severe snowfall in the West Midlands overnight

Sheep brave the snow and freezing temperatures in the Derbyshire countryside this morning

Cars sit in the driveway at a home in Rednal, Birmingham, this morning after Britain was hit by heavy snowfall

Sandwell Council in the West Midlands said this huge snowball had been dumped in the middle of a road in Bearwood

She said: 'It's shameful, I'm drained, I'm exhausted. I've got a migraine but my meds are in my suitcase.

Weather alerts today These areas are facing a snow or ice warning from the Met Office today: Central, Tayside & Fife

East Midlands

East of England

Grampian Highlands & Eilean Siar

London & South East England

North East England

North West England

Northern Ireland

Orkney & Shetland

SW Scotland, Lothian Borders

South West England

Wales

West Midlands

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'Both apps, British Airways and Heathrow, were giving conflicting information, then there was an electrical fault with the plane. And the problem was once I got outside the plane, it was absolutely chaotic.

'We had old people crying, some people could not speak English and there was luggage everywhere in the terminal.'

A Heathrow spokesman apologised for the continued disruption and said: 'Flights at Heathrow are disrupted today due to crew and aircraft being out of position following yesterday's weather.

'Before coming to the airport, passengers must check their flight status with their airline. If the status of your flight is cancelled, please do not travel to the airport, keep updated via the airline's website.

'The safety and comfort of our passengers is always our first priority and we are working closely with our airlines to ensure affected passengers are looked after. We apologise to those whose travel has been impacted and regret the inconveniences that have been caused.'

Toni Sage, 35, from Gravesend, Kent, had to sleep in the car last night after her Eurotunnel crossing was delayed by nine hours.

She got to the terminal in Calais at 9.40pm expecting to cross at 10.20pm, but was told that her crossing had been delayed.

She said: 'We arrived to find the car park absolutely gridlocked, you couldn't move for cars. They were parked everywhere, it was ridiculous. They were parked in the road, on the kerb, up on the grass bank, across white lines, everywhere.'

Ms Sage, who had taken a friend's teenage daughter to EuroDisney in Paris said initially she was told that the delay would be three hours. But she said the estimated crossing time kept get putting back without any explanation. Eventually she made her crossing at 5.50am.

She added: 'It was an absolute nightmare. I have travelled with Eurotunnel before but I have never had anything like this. People were getting really angry and at one point the police were called because there was a guy shouting at staff.

'Customer service was woeful. We weren't being given any information and had no idea when we would get home.'

Michael Owen's Bentley car was damaged after he parked under a tree only for the branches to collapse on top because of the weight of snow. The ex-footballer tweeted: 'Not ideal at 5.30am when you've got a train to catch!'

Nearly 500 schools in Wales and hundreds more in England have been closed at the start of the working week, and a chilly day is forecast, with a yellow warning for ice is in place for most of Wales and central England.

Highways England has been working to keep motorways and major A-roads clear of snow and ice. It said thousands of tonnes of salt has been spread on the M5, M6, M40, M42, M69, and the A5 and A49, with gritting crews also targeting the M1

Snow on the coast at Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, this morning as motorists are being warned of havoc on the roads

Heavy snow in the aptly-named village of Snowshill in Gloucestershire this morning

A woman walks through the heavy snow in the Gloucestershire village of Snowshill this morning

A woman and her dog walk through Boden Boo, a nature reserve in Erskine near Glasgow, this morning

Sheep graze in the snow in the Gloucestershire village of Snowshill this morning

A motorist has been reported for careless driving after clearing only a small gap in their snow-covered windscreen. The driver could see through less than half of the windscreen after only wiping the glass in front of their seat. Traffic police pulled over the offending vehicle in Harlow, Essex, shortly before midnight. Inspector Matt Allsop tweeted: 'My officers just came across this while on patrol in Harlow, driver reported for Careless driving!' He also posted a picture of the snow-covered vehicle.

Tonight, temperatures could drop as low as -15C (5F), which would make it the coldest night of the year; beating the current 2017 record set only on Saturday when Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands fell to -12.4C (10F).

Uber criticised for snow surge journey pricing Uber users have criticised the taxi-hailing app for charging up to £150 for a ten-mile journey in the snow. The automatic 'surge pricing', which comes into effect during busy periods, resulted in the charge from Harborne to Solihull in Birmingham today. Anaesthetist Dr Daman Mullhi shared details of the proposed route and service after failing to get their own vehicle off the drive this morning. She said: 'Whilst I understand that taxi firms may charge some additional fees in adverse weather, I feel that the surcharge Uber were placing was ridiculous and quite mercenary.' The NHS worker eventually used a local minicab firm which charged £30 for the same journey. An Uber spokesman told MailOnline: 'Our app uses dynamic pricing which means that fares automatically increase when the demand for cars in a specific area is greater than the cars available. Bad weather meant that were many people looking to book a car but fewer cars on the road which caused prices to automatically rise. 'The higher fare encourages more drivers to come into the area so there are more cars for people who want one. Users always see a fare estimate in advance so they have the choice to book a car, share the trip with others or wait until fares decrease.' Advertisement

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: 'It was chilly in Chillingham Barnes, but it wasn't the coldest night of 2017 - that was Saturday night when temperatures went down to -12.4C. We could well beat that tonight.'

His colleague Grahame Madge added: 'We are not expecting too much more in terms of fresh snowfall and the risk now transfers to ice. We have got fairly widespread clear skies, which will bring temperatures down and where there is lying snow, that creates an ice risk.'

He said a weather front coming in from France would affect the east coast and South East, bringing with it wintry showers, and possibly snow, but he added it would be 'nothing like what we've seen already'.

More than 200 schools will be closed in Gloucestershire, and more than 100 in Shropshire. Yesterday, more than a foot of snow fell in Sennybridge in Mid Wales which saw 32cm (12.5 inches).

Western Power Distribution said engineers worked through the night to restore power to 99,500 homes in the Midlands, South Wales and South West but 7,000 customers were still without electricity.

Some 6,500 of these were in the West Midlands. SSE said they restored power to more than 50,000 customers yesterday but 800 in Oxfordshire and parts of Wiltshire remained without power at 8am today.

Police in Cheshire published a photograph of a badly damaged BMW 3 Series that crashed overnight and said: 'Current weather conditions make driving tricky - but if you drive extremely poorly, this is what happens'.

Brandwood Police‏ in the West Midlands force area tweeted: 'A number of vehicles seen driving around with 30cm+ (1ft) worth of snow on the roof and bonnet. If you brake or accelerate harshly, where do you think that snow will end up - and how will it affect you and others driving?'

On the M40 in Warwickshire motorists said they saw no gritters and that it was a death trap. Driver Carl Palmer witnessed a crash and said it was 'like a war-zone, with crashed cars everywhere, others spinning around'.

As motorists face further havoc on the roads today, Highways England insisted it had done its job properly but blamed a lack of traffic for not spreading enough salt across the roads.

A spokesman said: 'There was a lot of snow, and the action of the salt relies on traffic, and it was a Sunday and the emergency services were telling people not drive, so there were not enough cars for it to be effective'.

Schoolchildren and commuters walk through the snow in Stanmore, North London, this morning

A snowy landscape over Winter Hill in Bolton is seen from Holcombe in Lancashire this morning

A stag in the snowy landscape at Loch Tulla Viewpoint in Argyle and Bute this morning

Snow covers hills looking towards Scout Moor Wind Farm in Lancashire this morning

The Dashwood Mausoleum stands from the snow covered hills near West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

The A40 in South Wales was closed in both directions due to a fallen tree and snow. The incident is mainly affecting traffic between Llandovery and Halfway, with the road expected to be shut for several hours.

Homes face power cuts Western Power Distribution said engineers worked through the night as they aimed to restore power to 10,000 home in the Midlands, South Wales and South West. SSE said they restored power to 48,000 customers yesterday and that 2,900 remained without power as of 11pm last night. Around 800 homes were left without power in Oxfordshire. Most of those affected were in North Leach, Burford, Grove, Farringdon and Kidlington. SSE was serving free hot food and drinks overnight in Oxford, Abingdon, Burford and Denchworth. Advertisement

Rhian Gowen, who saw the tree fall, said: 'This tree came down in front of us and crushed the camper van. We were just shocked as it fell on the van right in front of us and we had only just moved from the very spot it fell.'

Elsewhere, flooding has affected parts of Wales, including Port Talbot where a stream burst its banks. Near Bridgend, in Kenfig Hill, two women had to be rescued by fire crews after their car became stuck in water.

Birmingham is expected to be worst hit - with all schools in the city shut, bus services scrapped and bin collections abandoned. Some 200,000 children will have an extra day off after the decision by the city centre.

Bin collections in the city were cancelled because it was 'not safe for people to take their rubbish out'. Other schools across the country are also closed today as yesterday saw the effect of a so-called 'snow bomb'.

This happens when moist air from the Atlantic comes up against a rapidly increasing whirlpool of violently strong winds and storms from the Arctic.

Meanwhile thousands of homes were left without power, and events were cancelled – including, ironically, the ice rink at the Quays in Gloucester. Northampton's Igloo cinema was also shut because of the bad weather.

St Albans Christmas market in the Vintry Gardens of the Hertfordshire town closed today because of the conditions. It was also shut yesterday after traders struggled to get in, and the local area was covered in ice.

Police in Cheshire posted this photo of a BMW car after it crashed, saying: 'If you drive extremely poorly this is what happens'

Branches of a tree weighed down by snow fell on top of former England footballer Michael Owen's Bentley car overnight

Owen tweeted: 'Not ideal at 5:30am when you've got a train to catch! Thought I was clever sheltering my car from the snow!'

Thousands were stranded at London Airport Heathrow (pictured) with many more forced to sleep in other UK terminals

Armed police were at the BA check-in today with 50,000 of the airline's customers said to be stranded in Britain or Europe

Shopping outlet Bicester Village in Oxfordshire was left without electricity, and was forced to close early at midday, while a Christmas market in Lincolnshire was also shut, to the frustration of shoppers.

Chilly in Chillingham! The coldest place in Britain last night was the aptly-named Chillingham Barns. Temperatures in the Northumberland village fell as low as -12.2C (10F) last night, making it the second coldest night of the year. The village, which sits about 20 miles from the Scotland-England border, is known for its 13th century, Grade I-listed medieval castle. The current 2017 record was set only on Saturday when Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands fell to -12.4C (10F). Advertisement

The travel chaos is continuing today, with forecasters warning of treacherous conditions on the roads as freezing overnight temperatures turn the snow into deadly black ice.

The RAC said 'Black Monday' is set to be one of its busiest days for ten years, with an estimated 11,000 call-outs. The Met Office has issued a warning for ice covering central and southern England and northern Scotland.

Birmingham City Council said its schools were closed due to the 'recent adverse weather and forecast for freezing conditions'.

Colin Diamond, Birmingham's children's director, said even if pupils could walk to school, the council could not guarantee there would be enough staff there to look after them.

Schools were also set to shut in Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Worcestershire, even though little snow was expected to fall today.

In Gloucestershire, more than 60 schools will be closed, as well as more than 50 in Worcestershire, and 75 in Powys.

Other closures were announced in Shropshire, Essex, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Buckinghamshire.

Even schools in London were planning to shut their doors today. Drapers Academy, which runs a number of schools in Romford, east London, said it was closing because staff did not think they would be able to get in.

But while some parents welcomed a 'snow day', others were incredulous. Michelle Skeels wrote on Facebook: 'How ridiculous... it will be melted by tomorrow.'

Margaret Morrissey, of campaign group Parents Outloud, said: 'The schools are too quick to close, it is the easy option. I think the decision to close all of the schools in a city as big as Birmingham is quite frankly ridiculous.'

Motorists try to to scale notoriou roads in the snowfall Motorists tried to scale one of Britain's most notorious roads in the snowfall – and it didn't end well. After snowfall yesterday, several vehicles attempted to drive up and down Saltburn Bank in Teeside. It ended in chaos for the drivers, and the steep, twisty road was closed for a time. The cars were captured on camera struggling to make it up, while others slid to a halt and crashed into the barrier. The attempts were filmed by a passerby. The video shows cars piled up against the barrier at one of the bank's sharp turns. Another car appears stuck against a barrier further down the road. One driver attempts to climb the bank, but then thinks again when they see the stranded vehicles part way up. A Cleveland Police spokesman said: 'We received a report at 10pm that someone's vehicle had slid down the bank due to the weather and road conditions. 'The male driver, whose age is unknown, wasn't injured but the bank was briefly closed whilst the vehicle was moved off the road.' Advertisement

Sledger, 21, suffers severe injuries when his makeshift toboggan plunges into a snow-covered ravine A young sledger suffered 'potentially severe injuries' when his makeshift toboggan plunged into a snow-covered ravine. The 21-year-old man was rescued by helicopter after crashing down 30ft and suffering injuries to his pelvis and thigh. Footage taken from the hill in Ton Pentre, Rhondda, South Wales, showed the man being winched up by the UK Search and Rescue St Athan team helicopter. The 21-year-old man was rescued by helicopter after crashing down 30ft and suffering injuries to his pelvis and thigh Footage taken from the hill in Ton Pentre, Rhondda, South Wales, showed the man being winched up by a helicopter The thrillseeker, who was then taken by ambulance to University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, had been making the most of heavy snowfall yesterday evening. Mark Moran, team leader for the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team who helped with the rescue, said: 'The bank was very steep. We couldn't see anyone else sledging there and I wouldn't have fancied it to be honest.' Another man was also rescued by helicopter on Sunday after falling almost 330ft while climbing Tryfan mountain in Snowdonia, North Wales. The 24-year-old suffered multiple injuries to his chest and shoulder and was stretchered off the mountain by a RAF Valley helicopter team. Advertisement

The heaviest snowfall yesterday was in Sennybridge, in the Brecon Beacons, where over a foot was recorded, making roads impassable. In England nearly seven inches was recorded in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

The Met Office has issued an ice and snow warning for the UK

Motorists endured gridlock as they battled the treacherous conditions. Many motorways were closed temporarily, and there were severe delays on the M25, with 'multiple incidents' of vehicles crashing into others.

Meanwhile Highways England claimed the snow chaos on the M40, where hundreds of cars were stranded, was caused by a lack of vehicles on the road.

The agency said it had deployed eight gritters to the motorway in Warwickshire but that the rock salt was not spread adequately by drivers.

A spokesman said: 'There was a lot of snow, and the action of the salt relies on traffic, and it was a Sunday and the emergency services were telling people not drive, so there were not enough cars for it to be effective.'

It was described as looking 'like a war-zone' after a series of crashes on Sunday.

Hillingdon Borough Police tweeted yesterday: 'Please do not travel today unless its an emergency. Most of the roads in Hillingdon have become in passable due to the snow. #XHERT3 #stayindoors.'

But furious drivers took to social media, accusing local councils and Highways England of failing to grit many roads.

Rail passengers also endured major disruption, with most operators announcing delays and cancellations, while travellers in areas with the heaviest snowfall were advised not to go out at all.

Yesterday evening, Network Rail announced no CrossCountry trains would run between Birmingham and Bristol in both directions because of a landslide caused by the extreme weather.

Buses were also affected, as National Express West Midlands announced yesterday evening that all its bus and coach services across Birmingham and the West Midlands had been 'suspended until further notice'.

Land Rover tows articulated lorry up ice-covered road This is the moment a 15-tonne articulated lorry was towed up a snow and ice-covered road by a 45-year-old Land Rover. The driver of the DAF lorry was struggling to get any grip on the mushy road surface - but Daniel Morgan arrived at the scene in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, in his 1972 Land Rover Series III to lend a helping hand. The landscape gardener, 21, attached a tow rope from his Land Rover to the haulage truck and managed to pull it up the treacherous track without an issue. The driver of the DAF lorry was struggling to get any grip on the mushy road surface - but Daniel Morgan arrived at the scene in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, in his 1972 Land Rover Series III to lend a helping hand The landscape gardener, 21, attached a tow rope from his Land Rover to the haulage truck and managed to pull it up the treacherous track without an issue Mr Morgan's Land Rover, which has had 17 previous owners, also towed a number of other cars - including a Porsche Cayenne 4x4 This is despite the classic 4x4 being almost half-a-century old and fitted with a modest 2.5-litre diesel engine. Mr Morgan said: 'The lorry driver was just spinning the wheels and I couldn't really leave him in middle of the town centre so I thought I would give it a go. 'I wasn't sure if it would do it but I managed to pull him around 500 yards up the hill. They are astonishing cars. The driver was so pleased. He thanked me and went on his way.' It wasn't just lorry drivers who were rescued by the £1,800 workhorse. Mr Morgan's Land Rover, which has had 17 previous owners, also towed a number of other cars - including a Porsche Cayenne 4x4. Advertisement

Passengers complained of being trapped on a British Airways plane at Heathrow for more than four hours while receiving little information from the airline.

Schools closed today in England and Wales At least 2,300 schools in Britain have been closed today, including: 500 in Wales

250 in Gloucestershire

182 in Oxfordshire

200 in Northamptonshire

300 in Staffordshire

200 in Shropshire

400 in Birmingham

243 in Buckinghamshire

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Another four BA flights bound for the airport were diverted 300 miles away to Newcastle.

Passengers on a British Airways flight from Berlin to London Heathrow told how they were trapped for three hours on the snow-hit plane with no food or hot drink.

The already-delayed flight was unable to land in London due to the snow so had to divert 90 miles away to Bournemouth. But after landing more than 100 passengers remained sat on the aircraft on the ground for three hours.

While the airline decided what to do with them, customers were refused hot drinks or access to the food trollies because they had been locked away - and cabin crew weren't allowed to get them back out.

The stranded passengers were given tap water on request while they waited for information. In the end they were let off the plane at 9.30pm last night and put on coaches to take them to Heathrow.

They arrived at their intended destination two hours later at 11.30pm - more than nine hours after the scheduled time. Davina Patel, 32, and her husband Ajay were returning from a long weekend in Berlin visiting the Christmas markets.

They paid £195 to get a taxi home from Bournemouth to Guildford rather than wait for the coach journey.

Mrs Patel said: 'When the flight was delayed we were given a food voucher at Berlin airport but they didn't have anything available. That was about 1pm.

Emu named 'Farage' makes a quick BEAKSIT! 'Flabbergasted' locals watch three men chase giant bird around a snowy churchyard then grapple it with a headlock A runaway emu has been returned home after being chased around a churchyard and put into a headlock. The huge bird named 'Farage' escaped from its home and was seen fleeing through the snow by bemused residents. Matthew Devonport was 'flabbergasted' to watch three men chasing after the emu and encouraging it to return home. He said: 'I was going up to the recreation ground with my son George and his two friends Sid and Fred Payne. We came up to the churchyard and there was an emu there running through the gravestones. An emu named 'Farage' escaped from its home in Tollesbury, Essex, and was seen fleeing through the snow by bemused residents 'It was being chased round the churchyard, the other side of the church is where it lives. Around three men cornered it and kind of shooed it to the other side where it lives.' The emu lives with its owner in Tollesbury, Essex, and made its grand escape to play in the snow at around 11am on Saturday. Mr Devonport added: 'Some kind of argument broke out about how it managed to get out. 'An older lady was there who was the owner. One of the men managed to get it in a head lock by its neck and he was took back home. It left a trail of feathers all around the churchyard! 'The lady was very grateful and shook the men's hands. I was absolutely flabbergasted! Nothing like this ever happens in Tollesbury!' Harriet Balcombe said on Twitter: 'Tollesbury's resident emu (yes, emu) got out this morning and has now been safely herded home.'@jazz-emson also wrote: 'Only in tollesbury would you see an emu escaping in the snow.' Advertisement

Snowman created by three children is destroyed Three children have been left devastated after a snowmen they carefully constructed was 'deliberately' destroyed. The snowman had been lovingly created by a family at their home in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, and had been adorned with Christmas lights, and finished off with a festive scarf and hat. The snowman was completed with Christmas lights. He even had a carrot nose, as well as wooden arms, gloves and his very own broom. The snowman had been lovingly created by a family at their home in Burton and had been adorned with Christmas lights, and finished off with a festive scarf and hat (left). But they believe he was deliberately knocked down by some sort of wheeled vehicle Following the heavy snowfall in the area, the family spent hours putting together their snowy creation, only to get a frosty reception the next day discovering it had been destroyed. The family believes he was deliberately knocked down by some sort of wheeled vehicle sometime between 11pm yesterday and 3am today. The mother of the family, who does not wish to be named, said: 'After our family's enjoyment yesterday building him it was sad to see someone had deliberately run into him, knocking him to the ground. 'It's so sad that people behave in this manner, or even drive in this unsafe way.' Advertisement

'The plane had very limited stock, all the sandwiches were gone so we didn't have anything when the plane was in the air. Once we were diverted to Bournemouth they said they had locked the compartment with the food.

'They gave out tap water but you had to request that, there were no hot drinks. The staff were doing their best but they seemed completely clueless. It wasn't a pleasant experience. Everyone was so annoyed, especially with the lack of information.

'The terminal had no heating, there was no one around and no facilities. We finally got out the airport about 9.30pm. They were putting on coaches but by then we were so hungry and thirsty we decided just to get a taxi.'

Passenger Simon Price said: 'At first everyone was okay because the captain was giving us information but as the hours ticked by people were getting more and more frustrated.

'There was no provisions for being stuck in Bournemouth. When things go wrong it's the lack of plan. BA should have cancelled the flights from Berlin and rebooked everyone for the next day.'

A BA spokesman said: 'Due to the difficulties caused by the weather at Heathrow on Sunday, a significant number of en route flights had to be diverted away from Heathrow to other airports in the UK and Europe.

'We did our best to keep customers updated, and look after them, providing refreshments and hotel accommodation, but we understand that many customers had a frustrating time.

'We are sorry for the disruption customers faced and our teams are working around the clock to ensure we get customers to their end destinations quickly, but safely.'

Surfers in the North Sea at Tynemouth this morning following a weekend wintry blast

Snow blankets the countryside near Ruthin in North Wales this morning

People try to sleep in the departure hall following delays due to snow at London Heathrow Airport

Armed police stand guard at London Heathrow Airport as passengers face a second day of delays

Passengers try to get some sleep as they wait for their delayed flight at London Heathrow Airport this morning

A beautiful view of the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol in the snow yesterday evening

People also suffered at home, as up to 24,000 homes in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire had their electricity cut off after snow and wind blew branches into the overhead network.

Thousands more homes across the South West of England, West Midlands and Wales were affected by power cuts.

In the West Midlands, the Heart of England Trust said it was inundated with offers of help after it put out an appeal on Twitter for drivers of 4x4 vehicles to ferry nurses to hospitals.

Forecasters said high pressure will move across the UK tomorrow, bringing widespread fine and dry but still cold conditions.

However, the Met Office said it was also keeping an eye on 'Storm Ana', which could bring wet and windy weather to parts of southern England – not to mention the potential for more snow.

A Dover-bound ferry with more than 300 people aboard ran aground at Calais yesterday afternoon as high winds battered the port. Passengers were stranded for two hours before the vessel was refloated. No one was injured.

Now that's one way to get around! Young child in a helmet is towed through the snow on a sledge by a 4x4 This is the moment a young child in a helmet was towed through the snow on a sledge by a man in his 4x4. Surprised onlookers spotted the youngster hitching a ride on a red plastic sledge as the Mitsubishi L200 drove past them. A woman called out to the child who looked towards the camera in the village of Ley Hill near Chesham, Buckinghamshire This is the moment a young child in a helmet was towed through the snow on a sledge by a man in his 4x4 in Buckinghamshire Surprised onlookers spotted the youngster hitching a ride on a red plastic sledge as the Mitsubishi L200 drove past them A woman called out to the child who looked towards the camera in the village of Ley Hill near Chesham Advertisement

Cold weather could lead to upsurge in heart attacks There is an increased risk of heart attack and stroke in the days immediately after a cold snap, NHS England has warned. As temperatures plummet below freezing across much of the country, the number of people being admitted to A&E is also likely to increase, the public body said. With much of Britain gripped by chilly conditions, NHS England said that heart attacks increase almost immediately after a cold snap, accounting for two in five winter excess deaths. Hospitals also see a rise in the admission of stroke patients five days after the cold weather begins and peak respiratory admissions go up 12 days after the temperature drops. For every one degree that the temperature drops below 5C (41F) there is a 10 per cent rise in elderly people presenting with breathing problems and almost a 1 per cent increase in emergency admissions, NHS England said. Keith Willett the national director for acute care at NHS England said most people are 'unaware' of the immediate knock-on-effect of cold weather on health. 'Patients who have pre-existing conditions may not be aware that they are most at risk of falling ill in the days after temperatures drop,' he said. 'This also adds pressure on already busy A&E departments and can be avoided by taking simple steps to keep well. 'Those with pre-existing heart and lung conditions and particularly the elderly should take care to keep their homes properly heated and get their flu jabs. We are also asking the public to keep an eye on any elderly neighbours they might have who are the most vulnerable during the winter months.' The number of emergency admissions is also linked to colder weather circulating viral infections, including the flu. Older people who may be frail, or who have existing health conditions, are particularly at risk, NHS England said. Last winter there were 400,000 additional A&E attendances, bringing the total to more than 7.5 million, an increase of 5.6 per cent on the previous year, the body said. Advertisement

Families' fury as TUI cancels dream Christmas trip to Lapland because it's TOO COLD only to offer a meagre £50 compensation