UK weather live: Two airports suspend flights as hundreds of flood warnings issued and more snow forecast

Snowfall on A3 in Surrey as weather causes flight delays and motorway chaos

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Liverpool and Aberdeen airports were forced to suspend flights on Tuesday morning as heavy rain, flooding and snow[1] continue to disrupt travel and cause school closures[2]. It came as the Environment Agency issued a critical flood warning - indicating a "danger to life" as a mass evacuation was ordered[3] for the River Soar at caravan parks near Barrow upon Soar in Leicestershire.

It said: "River levels are rising at the Pillings Lock river gauge as a result of heavy rainfall and rapid snowmelt." One man has died in the winter storm[4] impacting much of the country, with North Yorkshire police saying a body pulled from floodwater near the River Aire has been formally identified. The man's next of kin are still being informed.

Met Office yellow weather warnings for snow and ice for northern and western Scotland - including the northern and western isles - remain in place until 12pm on Wednesday. Flooding means all rail lines are closed between Peterborough and Leicester, affecting CrossCountry and East Midlands Railway services. At 11.10am on Tuesday, the Environment Agency has one danger-to-life flood warning, 144 flood warnings and 228 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, active across England.

All the places at risk of flooding as severe weather warnings are issued across UK

Yellow warnings for snow and ice come into force across large parts of the UK on Monday afternoon and will remain in place into Tuesday.

Many commuters suffered travel disruption on Monday morning, with major roads closed and railway lines blocked. My colleague Jabed Ahmed takes a look at all the latest warnings: Holly Evans6 January 2025 17:02

Trains calling at Gatwick but delays expected

Trains are now stopping at Gatwick after disruption was caused by a fire, on a day when public transport is already being affected by adverse weather.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters were called to a "small fire", believed to have been caused by an electrical fault, at 12.34pm. The station has now reopened, but travellers have been warned of delays which could reach up to 45 minutes. Holly Evans6 January 2025 16:50

Children stranded at primary school as Lincolnshire declares major incident

Children have been left stranded at a primary school due to flooding in the surrounding area, with Lincolnshire being the second county to declare a major incident.

The Lincolnshire Resilience Forum has said emergency services have "operational responses" in place for "a number of ongoing incidents" which include multiple road closures. "Emergency services are also working to get children currently stranded at a school in Edenham home safely. They are safe and well, routes around affected," the group said.

In a post on Facebook, Edenham Church of England Primary School said that the fire brigade had advised parents not to collect children, due to the risk of their vehicles becoming stuck. Holly Evans6 January 2025 16:27

In pictures: Flooded roads in Worcestershire

A flooded public footpath in Severn Stoke in Worcestershire (David Davies/PA) (PA Wire)A vehicles drives through standing flood water near Eckington in Worcestershire (David Davies/PA Wire)

Holly Evans6 January 2025 16:16

Simon Calder on a third weekend in a row of weather-triggered disruption to UK aviation

For a third weekend in a row, thousands of airline passengers woke up where they did not intend to be after large-scale flight cancellations. The Independent calculates that at least 150 flights to, from and within the UK were grounded on Sunday 5 January alone because of heavy snow and high winds.

With few alternative departures available, it is likely that 20,000 passengers were stranded - both in the UK and abroad - because their flights were cancelled or diverted. The biggest problems were at Manchester airport, where the runway was closed because of snow for three hours on Sunday morning. The closure triggered 15 diversions - mainly of intercontinental flights - and 70 cancellations.

Some planes were diverted abroad, to Paris, Dublin and Shannon. The unluckiest passengers to be caught up in the snow chaos were the 243 on board Singapore Airlines flight SQ52, who endured not one but two diversions from Manchester to Gatwick. Read the full article here:

Holly Evans6 January 2025 16:01

Pictured: Rainbow seen over flooded fields near River Tone in Somerset

(Ben Birchall/PA Wire)

Tara Cobham6 January 2025 15:50

What is the five-day weather forecast for the UK?

This Evening and Tonight:

A cold and frosty night to come, with some further wintry showers, particularly in western and northern areas. A risk of icy stretches on untreated surfaces, especially where any late wintry showers fall.

Tuesday:

Another cold day tomorrow, with a mix of sunshine and wintry showers. The showers heaviest and most frequent in the north.

Windy for many, although easing in the south later.

Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:

Cold with a mixture of sunny spells and wintry showers, these most frequent in the north and northwest.

A spell of rain and snow in the south possible on Wednesday. Holly Evans6 January 2025 15:42

Northern Powergrid says 27,000 across Yorkshire and North East England lost power during cold snap

More than 27,000 homes and businesses across Yorkshire and the North East of England lost power during the cold snap, network operators Northern Powergrid said. The firm said its teams have worked around the clock to restore electricity supplies to all but around 100 customers by Monday lunchtime.

A spokesperson said: "Our network continued to be impacted by the wintry weather conditions overnight, leading to customers predominately across Yorkshire and Northumberland experiencing power cuts. "We want to thank our customers for their patience. "We understand how difficult a power cut can be, particularly in these conditions, and our teams will continue to work until all of our customers' power is back on."

Tara Cobham6 January 2025 15:30

Major incident declared in Leicestershire over flooding

A major incident has been declared over flooding in Leicestershire. Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) said it declared a major incident in response to widespread flooding across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland this morning, after receiving more than 200 calls. Crews have freed cars stuck in flood water, evacuated residents from flooded homes, and rescued 17 members of the public so far.

Judi Beresford, Assistant Chief Fire and Rescue Officer, said: "Flooding poses a serious risk to lives and property, and we urge everyone to take these warnings seriously. Our Control room and crews are working tirelessly to assist those in need and to keep people safe. "We are working with our partners to reduce the impact of this major incident and ask the public to avoid flooded routes when travelling and never to enter floodwater."

A vehicle is submerged under water near the River Devon in Bottesford, Leicestershire (Mike Egerton/PA Wire)

Tara Cobham6 January 2025 15:12

Woman who missed work due to flooding says it is worst she has seen in local area

A woman who missed work today due to flooding on the roads has said it is the worst she has seen in her local area.

Sonia Wheatley, a support worker from Loughborough in the East Midlands, whose husband also missed work, said: "I've never missed work before because of the weather. Last year when it flooded, I managed to get through the floods, but it's never been this bad." Mrs Wheatley, 52, left earlier on Monday morning in anticipation of the flooding but said the water became too high to risk going through.

"There's no rain at the moment, so I'm hoping I'll be able to get through tomorrow," she added.

Flooding in Loughborough this morning (Sonia Wheatley/PA Wire)

Tara Cobham6 January 2025 15:00

References

1. ^ snow (www.independent.co.uk)
2. ^ cause school closures (www.independent.co.uk)
3. ^ New snow warnings as cold snap causes travel chaos, school closures and flooding (www.independent.co.uk)
4. ^ Man's body recovered from floodwater in North Yorkshire (www.independent.co.uk)