By Paul Sims
Last updated at 3:17 AM on 18th December 2010
- Millions begin the big Christmas and New Year getaway early
- Ambulance skids off road and kills passenger inside
- Several UK airports closed or experiencing disruption
- Quarter of train services disrupted, travel warning in Kent
- Experts warn backlog of up to 4m parcels could remain undelivered
- NHS issues urgent appeal for blood donors after concerns of shortages
- Councils reveal plans to share grit amid fears of cold snap until January 14
- Odds shortened even further on ‘White Christmas’ in some parts of country
The Big Freeze will hold us in its grip for at least another month, forecasters warn.
Arctic conditions are expected to last through the Christmas and New Year bank holidays and beyond.
With temperatures expected to fall to -15c (5f), the Met Office said this is ‘almost certain’ to become the coldest December since records began in 1910.
Yesterday’s snowfall was largely in the South and West, and in Wales while the South was braced last night for another 10in of snow accompanied by treacherous ice.
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Slalom commute: A skier makes the most of the wintry weather in south Wales
Frozen: A dog and his walker enjoy the snow on Torquay beach today. The average temperature for December so far is -0.7c, making it on course to be the coldest since records began in 1910
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Up to 5in of snow fell yesterday, paralysing roads and rail, forcing airports and schools to close, and claiming at least four lives. Forecasters warned the worst was still to come after the heaviest December snow for 30 years.
Flights have been suspended at Exeter, City of Derry, Belfast City and Belfast International airports while London City, Norwich, Aberdeen, Inverness and Isle of Man have are all experiencing disruption after being closed earlier in the day.
London's Heathrow Airport has also suffered in the winter weather, with delays of up to two hours reported on flights affected by the conditions in Britain and Europe.
Budget airline Easyjet has cancelled all its flights to and from Gatwick airport between 0600GMT and 1000GMT on Saturday and further cancellations and delays are expected throughout the day.
Met Office forecaster Barry Gromett said the average mean temperature for the first two weeks of this month was -0.7c. The coldest-ever average for December, recorded in 1981, was 0.2c.
He said: ‘It’s going to stay like this throughout Christmas and New Year, but by the middle of next month things will slowly return to normal and we could perhaps see the beginning of the end.’
The snowy scene on top of Caerphilly Mountain in South Wales looked like a scene from Narnia
Grounded: Snow showers cover Heathrow Airport in West London
Treacherous: A motorist struggles through thick snow in Cardiff today. Up to 10 inches is predicted
The choristers of Winchester Cathedral donned ice-skates to enjoy the artificial rink set up beside the cathedral
Bookmaker William Hill gives the most likely city to have a White Christmas as Aberdeen, at 8/11, with London 6/4.
Last night, the Met Office issued heavy snow warnings for northern Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the South West.
The Royal Mail said it was planning to deliver tomorrow to around one million addresses.
But with the AA’s warning of ‘possibly the worst driving conditions imaginable’, fears were heightened that millions of packages and mail would fail to be delivered in time for Christmas.
The advice came before a man died after an ambulance skidded off a country road in poor weather conditions in East Sussex.
The man, in his early 30s, had been involved in a traffic collision and was being treated by ambulance crew members while a road police officer drove the emergency vehicle when the ambulance crashed into a bush on Standard Hill, Ninfied.
Dog walking on a main road closed by snow in Caerphilly Mountains
AA Spokesman Gavin Hill-Smith had earlier said: ‘There are horrendous driving conditions in some parts with driving, drifting snow and bad ice making for possibly the worst driving conditions imaginable, even for experienced drivers.
‘The weather will undoubtedly cause disruption for people heading off for an early Christmas break, if they live in one of the affected areas.’
The breakdown service said it expected to deal with 18,500 call-outs yesterday.
Mr Hill-Smith urged families to adapt their travel plans but added: ‘The trouble is that the closer we get to Christmas, the greater the pressure to travel – Christmas shopping, visiting family and friends.’
Treacherous: Ice on the M22 outside Ballymena in Co Antrim made for a dangerous drive to work today
Winter wonderland: A couple slowly make their way up a snowy Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset today
Douglas McWilliams, chief executive of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, said the prolonged freeze could lead to up to 1,000 businesses going bankrupt.
Many shoppers would be forced to stay at home because of treacherous roads, he added.
There are also concerns that supplies of heating oil – used by around two million homes, schools and hospitals – are nearing ‘crisis levels’. The Government is said to be considering rationing.
In a further development, the NHS issued an urgent appeal for blood donors as stocks ran low. Supplies of O negative blood have fallen below ‘preferred levels’, with just 1,928 units left in store (each unit is just under a pint).
Although only 7 per cent of the population are O negative it is a key type which can be given to anybody.
It is the only safe option when a patient’s blood group is unknown or not immediately available and is therefore vital in emergencies and for procedures on unborn babies.
A total of 69 donor sessions have been cancelled in one week in England and North Wales.
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