Heavy snow causes travel chaos as fresh Met Office warnings issued

Thousands of Britons have been hit by travel chaos after heavy snow swept the UK in a cold snap over the first weekend of 2025.

Several major airports were forced to temporarily close their runways due to snowfall, leading to flight cancellations and delays.

Stranded vehicles and collisions left key roads in northern England closed while rail services were cancelled across the region.

Snow closed the A628 Woodhead Pass which connects Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire through the Peak District overnight in both directions between the A616 at Flouch and the A57 at Hollingworth.

The A66 in County Durham and Cumbria was closed between the M6 and A1(M) because of the conditions, while the A1 was closed southbound between the A639 North Elmsall.

It comes as eight weather warnings were put in place for Sunday and Monday, including snow and ice warnings across Scotland and Northern Ireland and rain warnings across England and Wales.

Meanwhile, over 250 flood alerts and warnings have also been issued by the Environment Agency, with flooding expected across much of England overnight.

Key Points

• Huge delays at Manchester as airlines struggle to recover schedules

• Up to 25cm of snow as well as ice could hit roads in northern England, National Highways warns

• New yellow weather warning for rain issued for southern England today

• What weather warnings have been issued by Met Office across UK today

Ill person sledged to safety after home cut off by snow, according to local rescue team

21:30 , Tara Cobham

An ill person whose house was cut off by the snow in Marsden was sledged to safety this morning, according to a local rescue team.

In a post on social media, Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team said: “This morning, the team assisted Yorkshire Ambulance Service in Marsden during the UK snow when a local person took ill, but whose house was cut-off by deep drifts. The team sledged them in our Lyon Equipment Bell stretcher to a waiting crew.

“Everyone wishes them a speedy recovery.”

Met Office updates amber weather warning for snow

21:26 , Joe Middleton

The Met Office has updated an amber weather warning for snow in northern England to run into Monday morning.

The warning – which covers parts of Lancashire, Cumbria and the Lake District – warns that travel delays, stranded vehicles and power cuts are all likely and rural communities could be cut off.

It will stay in place until 6am on Monday, with up to an additional 15cm of snow falling during the period over higher ground, the forecaster said.

An earlier amber warning covering a larger area of northern England had been due to expire at midnight.

Ryanair and Jet2 issue warnings amid travel disruption as extreme weather hits UK

21:00 , Tara Cobham

Both Ryanair and Jet2 have issued warnings amid widespread travel disruption caused by the extreme weather hitting the UK.

Ryanair writes on its website: “Potential disruptions to/from the UK (Saturday 4 January – Sunday 5 January) due to snow and ice.

“Affected passengers will be notified and any passengers travelling to/from the UK on Saturday 4 January – Sunday 5 January should check their Ryanair app for the latest updates on their flight.”

Meanwhile, Jet2 writes: “The overnight snowfall across the UK has resulted in temporary closures of many UK airports.

“Our operations teams are working closely with our airport partners to get you on your way as soon as possible.

“However our flights are experiencing severe delays in some parts of the UK.”

Voters will thank Labour for scrapping winter fuel payments, Wes Streeting claims

20:30 , Tara Cobham

The public will thank Sir Keir Starmer for scrapping winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners and other “unpopular decisions”, the health secretary has claimed.

Wes Streeting said Labour had to make decisions that were unpopular in its first six months in power, blaming “the massive hole Britain was left in” by the Conservatives.

Since being elected with a landslide majority in July, Sir Keir’s government has stripped winter fuel payments of up to £300 for millions of elderly people, introduced inheritance tax changes dubbed a “family farm tax”, which critics fear will force farmers into selling up, and hiked employer national insurance contributions.

My colleague political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:

Voters will thank Labour for scrapping winter fuel payments, Wes Streeting claims

Yorkshire records 17cm of snow already, says Met Office

20:00 , Tara Cobham

Yorkshire has recorded 17cm of snow already, according to the Met Office.

And more snow is forecast to fall in northern England and Scotland today, with a number of weather warnings still in force.

In pictures: Britons enjoy a snowy Sunday in Yorkshire

19:30 , Tara Cobham

Met Office offers advice on staying safe in the extreme weather

19:00 , Tara Cobham

Several major airports reopen but passengers warned to still expect delays

18:30 , Tara Cobham

Several major airports have reopened but passengers have been warned to still expect delays.

Manchester and Liverpool John Lennon Airport closed their runways for several hours on Sunday morning due to heavy snow.

Manchester Airport said delays to some departures and arrivals are still possible as staff de-ice aircraft and clear walkways.

Leeds Bradford Airport confirmed shortly after 2.15pm that its runway had reopened but added some disruption was expected to continue throughout the day.

It had earlier warned that access through security could be temporarily restricted due to the high number of customers already in the departure lounge awaiting flights.

Birmingham Airport had suspended operations for several hours overnight “for snow clearing and safety reasons”, but said it was on schedule for “business as usual” on Sunday.

Bristol Airport reopened at about 11pm on Saturday but warned of ongoing delays because aircraft were out of position following flight cancellations.

All the affected airports urged passengers to check with their airline for updates.

Will there be more snow and ice this week? The Met Office has the latest

18:00 , Tara Cobham

Stranded vehicles and collisions leave key roads in northern England closed

17:30 , Tara Cobham

Stranded vehicles and collisions have left key roads in northern England closed.

Snow closed the A628 Woodhead Pass which connects Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire through the Peak District overnight in both directions between the A616 at Flouch and the A57 at Hollingworth.

The A66 in County Durham and Cumbria was closed between the M6 and A1M because of the conditions, while the A1 was closed southbound between the A639 North Elmsall and the A1(M)/A638 Doncaster in South Yorkshire due to a collision involving a car and and a HGV.

The M180 in Lincolnshire was closed westbound between J5 Grimsby and J4 Lincoln due to a serious collision.

Traffic was stopped on the A1M southbound between J61 Bowburn and J60 Bishop Auckland in County Durham due to stranded vehicles on the carriageway before being released just before 10.30am.

The A303 was closed westbound between the A3057 and the A343 near Andover in Hampshire due to an overturned vehicle, and one lane of the northbound A3 in Hampshire was closed on Sunday morning due to flooding following overnight snow, National Highways said.

Unluckiest passengers in Manchester airport chaos have been to Gatwick – twice – in a double divert

17:10 , Simon Calder

The unluckiest passengers to be caught up in the snow chaos are those on board Singapore Airlines flight SQ52.

The Airbus A350 from Singapore was due to land at Manchester at 8.35am on Sunday. As the plane approach northwest England, it went into a holding pattern over Leicestershire for 20 minutes before turning south to Gatwick.

According to Jennifer Kerry, whose daughter and son-in-law were on board, passengers were not allowed to leave the plane.

About three hours later, the plane took off for Manchester. But after a further 40 minutes circling over the Peak District, they returned to Gatwick – having to hold for a further 20 minutes before landing at the Sussex airport.

“They have just been given a few snacks in the last half-hour, the first food since 4am,” Ms Kerry said.

“They have now been on the plane for over 22 hours. Talk of them flying up later tonight. They then have to travel across the Pennines on the M62 to get home in this horrible weather.

“Not the best treatment from supposedly the world’s best airline,” Ms Kerry concluded.

The Independent has asked Singapore Airlines for a response.

Met Office’s forecast for this evening warns of more rain, sleet and snow

17:00 , Tara Cobham

The Met Office has forecast more rain, sleet and snow in its latest forecast for this eveving.

An amber warning for snow will be in place across northern England until midnight.

Is travel chaos getting worse? Simon Calder assesses

16:44 , Tara Cobham

For his daily travel question for The Independent, travel correspondent Simon Calder tackles a question from Neil B:

Q: I know you have been covering festive travel chaos for decades, but a serious question: is it getting worse, and if so, why?

Neil B

A: My idea of a perfect Christmas and new year would be to put my feet up and not have to report on any travel disruption. But I fear the chances of that happening are low. Trains, planes, roads and ferries have all encountered severe disruption this winter.

Actually, in terms of the emotional (and economic) damage of travel chaos, there have been worse festive seasons. In particular, the third week in December 2010, when hundreds of thousands of airlines passengers lost their Christmas trips home and holidays from London Heathrow: the airport closed due to heavy snow. The Gatwick drone of December 2018 was extremely destructive, too, with 150,000 travellers having their flights cancelled at very short notice.

It’s important to make allowances for the easy access to information. In previous decades, trying to find out which rail lines were blocked and the number of cancellations at Heathrow would take hours on the phone. And raw data doesn’t go far enough back to allow for reliable long-term comparisons. But in terms of the sheer breadth of disruption, though, this Christmas and new year feels something of a stand-out: snow closures of major airports, flooding on roads and railways; fog and high winds wrecking flight schedules; and, for ferry passengers, a combination of multiple on-the-day cancellations on top of the suspension of Holyhead-Dublin – the key ferry link between Great Britain and Ireland. In a “normal” festive season you might expect one of these.

So yes, things seem to be getting worse. Partly it is because the system is under greater pressure than ever: this year will be a record Christmas at many of Britain’s airports (despite the wind-and-fog cancellations). While extracting so much capacity from such limited infrastructure is impressive, resilience is reducing. Extreme weather, too, is increasing in frequency and taking its toll on travel.

Even so, the vast majority of people will have got where they needed to be – and back – with very little hassle. But I have every sympathy with the travellers who hit trouble.

Manchester airport cancellations impacts 10,000 passengers

16:30 , Travel correspondent Simon Calder

Even though Manchester airport has been open for seven hours since its three-hour closure on Sunday morning, problems for many passengers are intensifying.

The Independent has identified 60 cancelled arrivals and departures.

Many of them are on easyJet, which has so far grounded 26 arrivals and departures. Four are round trips to and from Amsterdam, which itself is suffering from heavy snow.

Two of the cancellations are long-haul departures on wide-bodied jets: Emirates to Dubai and Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong.

In total, an estimated 10,000 passengers have had flights to and from Manchester airport grounded.

The longest delay at Manchester today is a Ryanair flight to Berlin, which is shown as leaving at 7pm – 10 hours late.

The airport says: “Some arrivals and departures may still be subject to delays as a result of the earlier closure due to heavy snow in the early hours of this morning. Passengers due to travel today are advised to check with their airlines for the latest information regarding their flights.

“We also recommend all passengers should plan their travel to the airport, allow extra time, make sure they are dressed for the weather and pack supplies for their journey, including snacks and a phone charger.

“The safety of our passengers is always our top priority and we thank you for your patience, and all our teams for their hard work in getting our runways open again.”

Snow mapped: Where freezing weather will hit UK with up to 40cm snowfall forecast

16:10 , Tara Cobham

Ten weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office, with snow and ice hitting the UK as temperatures plummet over the first weekend of 2025.

Two amber weather warnings were issued, including a warning for snow and ice covering most of the Midlands, Wales and parts of northern England that lifted at midday on Sunday. The second amber snow warning is still in place across northern England and parts of the Midlands until the end of Sunday.

There will be “significant accumulations” of snow over the weekend, Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said, with up to 40cm possible in the worst affected areas of the amber warning. Around 3-7cm is expected more widely.

Below, The Independent maps the snow hitting the UK:

Snow mapped: Where freezing weather will hit UK this weekend

Temperatures dropped to as low as -7C in parts of UK today

15:50 , Tara Cobham

Temperatures have dropped to as low as -6.6C in parts of the UK today.

The Met Office said Fyvie Castle has so far experienced the lowest temperature in the country, while it is 14.2C in Merryfield.

This shows a huge 20.8C difference in maximum temperature across the UK so far today.

King and Queen brave wintry weather to attend church in Sandringham

15:30 , Tara Cobham

The King and Queen braved wintry weather to head to church in Sandringham amid heavy downpours.

The royal couple held umbrellas as they arrived at the Sunday church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk, with weather warnings in place for much of the UK.

Wearing a beige wool overcoat, Charles was greeted by Revd Canon Dr Paul Williams, rector for the Sandringham group of parishes, as he arrived for the service.

Camilla, wearing a brown dress coat with brown boots, held a transparent umbrella.

In pictures: Heavy snow causes disruption across the country

15:10 , Tara Cobham

Leeds Bradford Airport confirms runway reopens but disruption continues

14:50 , Tara Cobham

Leeds Bradford Airport has confirmed its runway has now reopened and operations are resuming.

It said some disruption was expected to continue throughout the day due to a backlog of departing flights, but the airport expected the situation to “improve”.

Can and should you walk your dogs in the snow and freezing temperatures?

14:30 , Tara Cobham

Temperatures are dropping across the UK with snow weather warnings in place.

With this news, many will be thinking about how this chilly weather may affect our pets.

It’s important to prepare our dogs, as well as ourselves, for this forecast.

From diet to grooming, here are some things to bear in mind to keep your four-legged friends safe and well this winter:

Can and should you walk your dogs in the snow and freezing temperatures?

Met Office forecast for this week

14:10 , Tara Cobham

The Met Office has forecast that frost and icy patches will continue through the early part of the week.

However, Monday and Tuesday are set to become drier, with sunny spells and scattered wintry showers.

Wednesday will be cloudier, with hazy sunshine.

Wintry showers are possible in the south early on Thursday.

Then, Friday becomes more settled.

This is ahead of a cloud and rain in the west before largely settled conditions from next weekend.

Lack of winter fuel payment ‘might be unpopular’ as snow falls, Streeting admits

13:50 , Tara Cobham

Wes Streeting has acknowledged withdrawing winter fuel payments from pensioners “might be unpopular” following health service advice to keep home heated during this weekend’s cold snap,

The Health Secretary faced questions on Sunday about his advice to “turn the heating on”, after heavy overnight snowfall of up to 12cm in parts of the country.

Conservative Party chairman Nigel Huddleston described the advice Mr Streeting gave on Friday as “cruel”.

Read more here:

Lack of winter fuel payment ‘might be unpopular’ as snow falls, Streeting admits

Met Office forecasts ‘unsettled afternoon’ across the country

13:30 , Tara Cobham

The Met Office has forecast an “unsettled afternoon” to come across the country.

Heavy rain, sleet and snow will continue, with weather warnings in place for many, including an amber warning for snow across parts of northern England.

The sleet and snow will continue to push north on Sunday and be heaviest in northern England and into southern Scotland.

After experiencing freezing rain for a time, the south will turn milder.

Leeds Bradford Airport’s runway ‘remains closed until further notice’

13:10 , Tara Cobham

Leeds Bradford Airport said its runway would remain closed until further notice while it continues to mitigate heavy snowfall.

In an update on its website, the airport said access through security may be temporarily restricted due to the number of customers already in its departure lounge.

It added its team were “working tirelessly” to clear the falling snow and it would reopen as soon as it is safe to do so, with the next update expected at 2pm.

The airport had earlier said it was hoping to reopen its runway at midday.

Huge delays at Manchester as airlines struggle to recover schedules

13:07 , Travel correspondent Simon Calder

Besides the dozens of diversions and cancellations at Manchester airport, thousands of passengers have endured delays of four hours or more. Many of them have been at the airport since 4am for pre-dawn flights.

The worst-affected passengers appear to be on Tui ski flights to Chambery, Turin and Toulouse – all of which are over six hours behind schedule.

Slights shorter delays are affecting many easyJet and Ryanair flights.

The scheduled dawn departures to Amsterdam on KLM, to Frankfurt on Lufthansa and to Paris on Air France all departed over four hours late, scuppering hundreds of connections.

Status orange weather warnings remain in place for 11 counties in Ireland

12:50 , Tara Cobham

A status orange weather warning remains in place for 11 counties in the south of Ireland as up to 10cm of snow is expected to fall in some places.

Snow, ice, heavy rain and sleet swept over the island of Ireland with Met Eireann warning of further falls of snow later on Sunday.

Thousands of homes and businesses have been left without power overnight.

Read more here:

Status orange weather warnings remain in place for 11 counties in Ireland

Liverpool-Man Utd goes ahead at Anfield after safety meetings due to heavy snow

12:30 , Tara Cobham

Liverpool’s home game against Manchester United on Sunday will go ahead as planned.

Overnight snow across Merseyside and the north-west made road conditions for both sets of fans difficult and threatened to force a postponement.

Liverpool City Council’s Safety Advisory Group met twice on Sunday with concerns over access to Anfield but the fixture – one of the biggest in English football – will kick-off as scheduled at 4.30pm.

“Today’s fixture against Manchester United will go ahead as planned,” league leaders Liverpool posted on their official X account.

“Two safety meetings were held earlier to assess the weather and travel conditions.

“We thank everyone involved in helping us to get this game on today. If you’re travelling to Anfield then please take extra care. We look forward to seeing you there.”

Councils across London and southern England activate emergency measures

12:10 , Tara Cobham

Councils across London and southern England have activated emergency measures.

This includes additional accommodation to help rough sleepers stay safe during the cold snap.

Cold weather health alerts for all of England remain in place

11:50 , Tara Cobham

UK Health Security Agency cold weather health alerts for all of England remain in place ahead of a week of low temperatures.

Amber alerts were issued on Thursday and will run until Wednesday, meaning a rise in deaths is likely, the agency said.

Plumpton called off due to waterlogging after morning rain

11:40 , Tara Cobham

Despite passing an initial morning inspection, Plumpton’s BetGoodwin Sussex National meeting was abandoned on Sunday due to worsening conditions.

Officials announced a precautionary inspection for 8.30am ahead of one of the track’s most high-profile fixtures of the season due to the forecast of heavy rain overnight.

While 25mm of rain fell, racing was initially given the green light. However, less than two hours later, the meeting was called off due to waterlogging.

Clerk of the course Marcus Waters said: “We were predicted five millimetres of rain between 8.30am and midday, which we thought we could handle, but we were already on 7.5 millimetres just before 10am.

“That much rain in a short space of time has left us with a few areas of false ground and we didn’t think it was safe anymore.

“We’re very disappointed. At 8.30am, we felt we had a good chance with the forecast how it was, but we got more rain than expected and it’s pushed us over the edge.

“It’s always a hard decision and it would have been the same whatever meeting it was. We have our processes and it was just unfortunate that it’s happened on a big day.”

Flood warnings and alerts issued across England and Wales amid fears of rapid thaw

11:29 , Tara Cobham

A number of flood warnings and alerts have been issued across England and some of Wales amid fears of a rapid thaw following the snowfall and icy conditions.

The Environment Agency has issued eight flood warnings, where flooding is expected, and 107 flood alerts, where flooding is possible, in England this morning.

Meanwhile, Natural Resources Wales has in place three flood alerts.

Rail services impacted across the country amid extreme weather

11:12 , Tara Cobham

Rail services have been impacted across the country amid the extreme weather.

Northern has advised passengers not travel as heavy snow causes issues on its network.

Avanti West Coast trains leaving Liverpool Lime Street may be cancelled or delayed due to difficulties at the depot after snowfall.

National Rail has advised passengers to check their journey before travelling amid the widespread disruption.

Watch: Simon Calder on wider travel disruption expected across UK due to 30cm of snowfall

11:00 , Tara Cobham

Manchester airport: runways open, but dozens of cancellations

10:46 , Travel correspondent Simon Calder

Dozens of flights to and from Manchester have been grounded after the airport was closed for three hours on Sunday morning.

Even though operations have resumed, many of the first wave of departures have been cancelled.

Britain’s biggest budget airline, easyJet has cancelled a dozen flights to and from destinations including Lisbon and Faro in Portugal, Prague and Sofia.

In addition, flights incoming from Munich, Vienna, Zurich and Helsinki could not reach Manchester and the outbound segments have been cancelled.

Beamish Museum in Co Durham closed for the day

10:45 , Travel correspondent Simon Calder

Beamish Museum, the “Living Museum of the North”, says it will stay closed on Sunday.

The statement said: “It’s with a heavy heart that, due to the snowy conditions, we are unable to open the museum today (Sunday, 5 January 2025).

“We’re saddened to have to make this decision but the safety of our visitors, staff and volunteers must always come first, and due to the weather conditions it just wouldn’t be possible to open.

“For anyone with a booking for our pantomime performances today, we’ll be sending you an email with further information. Thank you everyone for your understanding.”

Comment: My elderly mother can’t afford heating – she needs the winter fuel allowance

10:40 , Tara Cobham

After a damp and drizzly start to the year, the weather in the UK has taken a dramatic turn and we’ve firmly entered the first real cold snap of 2025 – which not only prompts concern for our own health and safety but also the wellbeing of our more vulnerable loved ones.

Even the most independent pensioners are finding the current conditions challenging.

My 73-year-old mother is no stranger to tough times; she found herself widowed after losing my dad to a gruelling battle with cancer and suffers from debilitating rheumatoid arthritis herself. She’s a powerhouse of strength and is fiercely stubborn, so it came as a shock when she recently told me how worried she was about heating her home this winter and her health fears during this severe cold snap.

Read more here:

My elderly mother can’t afford heating – she needs the winter fuel allowance

In pictures: Heavy snow blankets parts of UK

10:34 , Tara Cobham

Chepstow, Plumpton and Naas all cleared for Sunday racing

10:32 , Tara Cobham

National Hunt racing resumed on Sunday after fixtures at Chepstow, Plumpton and Naas were all given the go-ahead following morning inspections.

Racegoers were left without any jumps or afternoon action on Saturday after freezing temperatures claimed the meetings at Sandown and Wincanton. Newcastle’s jumps card had already been abandoned on Friday, while a frozen track at Cork meant no racing took place in Ireland either.

Officials at Plumpton announced a precautionary inspection for 8.30am ahead of the track’s BetGoodwin Sussex National meeting due to the forecast of heavy rain overnight – and while 25mm fell, racing was given the green light.

Chepstow opted to take another look after an initial precautionary check at 7.30am and, with temperatures rising, the seven-race card did pass a second inspection at 9am, while the Grade One Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle is the feature event on a quality card at Naas.

A 7.30am inspection was called at the Irish track due to the threat of snow, but that failed to materialise.

Brendan Sheridan, clerk of the course for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, said: “We had no snow overnight, we’ve had 11 millimetres of rain and the ground is now soft, soft to heavy in places.”

Chesterfield vs Gillingham and Fleetwood vs AFC Wimbledon postponed

10:31 , Tara Cobham

The Sky Bet League Two fixtures between Chesterfield and Gillingham and Fleetwood and AFC Wimbledon were postponed on Sunday morning.

“Due to the fitness of the pitch and surrounding area due to heavy snowfall on the Fylde Coast during Saturday night into Sunday morning a call was made in consultation with the EFL and PGMOL,” Fleetwood said announcing the postponement of the fixture.

Liverpool-Man Utd clash subject to safety decision due to heavy snow

10:27 , Tara Cobham

Liverpool say “every effort” is being made for their home game with Manchester United to take place on Sunday amid adverse weather conditions on Merseyside, with a decision expected just after midday.

Snow fell across Merseyside and the north west overnight and Liverpool City Council’s Safety Advisory Group met on Sunday morning to determine whether the Premier League match could go ahead due to access issues.

The group will reconvene at midday in the hope that weather conditions will ease and the fixture – one of the biggest in English football – will kick-off as scheduled at 4.30pm.

“A safety meeting was held this morning to assess the weather and travel conditions for today’s fixture against Manchester United at Anfield,” league leaders Liverpool posted on their official X account.

“At this stage the match is planned to go ahead as normal and every effort is being made to get the game on.

“A further safety meeting will take place again at midday to assess the latest conditions.

“We will update supporters just as soon as we can. Please take extra care out there, Reds.”

Leeds Bradford Airport becomes latest to close runway after snow

10:25 , Tara Cobham

Leeds Bradford Airport said it had closed its runway this morning after disruption caused by heavy snowfall.

In a statement posted on its website, the airport said its team were “working hard to clear snow and minimise the impact on flight schedules”.

Passengers have also been advised to walk to the terminal with the long stay and car rental shuttle bus service temporarily postponed.

Some morning departures have been rescheduled to this afternoon, the airport said.

It said it is hoping to reopen the runway at midday, although this is subject to change. Either way passengers will be provided with a further update then.

The closure comes after several other major UK airports closed their runways over Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

Up to 25cm of snow as well as ice could hit roads in northern England, National Highways warns

10:20 , Tara Cobham

Up to 25cm of snow as well as ice could hit roads in northern England, National Highways has warned.

Snow closed the A628 Woodhead Pass which connects Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire through the Peak District overnight in both directions between the A616 at Flouch and the A57 at Hollingworth.

The A66 in County Durham and Cumbria was closed between the M6 and A1M because of the conditions, while two of four lanes on the M1 northbound between J30 Worksop and J31 Sheffield in South Yorkshire were shut after a collision involving a HGV.

One lane of the northbound A3 in Hampshire was closed on Sunday morning due to flooding following overnight snow, National Highways said.

As well as snow, National Highways warned rain may initially fall on frozen ground and lead to ice, with areas of high ground, including the Cotswolds and Peak District, most at risk.

New yellow weather warning for rain issued for southern England today

10:19 , Tara Cobham

A new yellow weather warning for rain has been issued for southern England on Sunday.

The Met Office said disruption was likely to bus and train services while spray and flooding on roads would delay car journeys.

The warning is in place from Cornwall across to Kent and will last until 9am on Monday.

Latest updates as snow threatens Liverpool vs Manchester United Premier League fixture

10:12 , Tara Cobham

Liverpool are hoping to host Manchester United in the Premier League this afternoon with the league leaders looking to extend their lead at the top of the table, though heavy snow overnight has put the fixture in doubt.

A second safety meeting is scheduled for midday GMT to determine whether the clash can be staged at Anfield after an amber weather warning was issued for much of the north of England. A first meeting was held earlier after runways were closed at both Manchester Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport amid widespread travel disruption.

Should the fixture go ahead, Arne Slot’s side will be looking to further seize control of the title race. More dropped points for Arsenal yesterday only strengthens Liverpool’s position with a game still in hand on their rivals. Things are rather less buoyant at Old Trafford at the moment with the arrival of Ruben Amorim not transforming Manchester United’s fortunes. The visitors have won just two league matches since he took over in November, with recent losses to Wolves and Newcastle illustrating the scale of the job on the Portuguese’s hands.

Follow all the latest news from Anfield in The Independent’s sports team’s live blog below:

Liverpool vs Manchester United in doubt after snow – latest updates

‘Postpone journeys until Monday’ – London North Eastern Railway

10:10 , Travel correspondent Simon Calder

Passengers on the UK’s flagship train operator, London North Eastern Railway (LNER) have been urged to defer their rail journeys tomorrow on the East Coast main line.

The line connects London King’s Cross with Yorkshire, northeast England and Scotland.

“Due to heavy snow, train services running across the whole London North Eastern Railway network may be cancelled or delayed,” the company says.

“LNER tickets for travel on Sunday 5 January will be valid for use on Monday 6 January.

“If you are unable to defer your journey, you can use your ticket on the following train companies at no extra cost: TransPennine Express between Manchester, Leeds and York/Newcastle. Northern on any reasonable route. Great Northern and Thameslink between London Kings Cross, Stevenage and Peterborough.

“Please be aware that other operators’ services are also likely to be busy. We’re working with Network Rail to get our services moving again as quickly as possible.“

Another East Coast main line company, Hull Trains, has warned: “Due to hazardous weather conditions, rail replacement services are currently unable to run. This will be reassessed at midday. We apologise for any inconvenience.”

‘I’m on a diverted Qatar Airways flight. What are my rights?’

10:00 , Travel correspondent Simon Calder

Ryan Brewer is aboard Qatar Airways flight QR21 from Doha to Manchester, which has diverted to Birmingham.

He told The Independent: “Sat on tarmac for over two hours with hope of flying back to Manchester.

“Just been told no ground support here to refuel, etc, and the crew are out of hours so we have to disembark. What are our rights?”

Under air passengers’ rights rules, the airline must arrange onward transport – which is likely to involve coaches. For many passengers, though, a better option is likely to be a train from Birmingham International station, adjacent to the airport.

As well as reclaiming the train fare, passengers can claim for a meal while they wait. But cash compensation is not payable because the airline is not responsible for the disruption.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport to reopen runway in minutes although flights still delayed

09:59 , Tara Cobham

Liverpool John Lennon Airport has announced that it will be reopening its runway at 10.15am this morning.

However, the airport warned passengers: “There are delays to flights, so please contact your airline directly.”

Manchester Airport runways reopen but passengers warned of delays

09:55 , Tara Cobham

Manchester Airport runways have reopened, although passengers have been warned of ongoing delays amid ice and snow.

In a post on X this morning, the airport said: “Our runways are now open, but as a result of the earlier closure, some departures and arrivals may still experience delays as our teams work to de-ice aircraft and clear the runways.”

The bus services cancelled across Yorkshire due to extreme weather

09:52 , Tara Cobham

A number of bus services have been cancelled across Yorkshire due to the extreme weather, including:

• Stagecoach Yorkshire announced this morning that its services to Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster are unable to leave the depot and so are not running, with updates expected.

• The Harrogate Bus Company has suspended all its services until further notice.

• Similarly, all Supertram services have been suspended until further notice.

• Arriva Yorkshire has warned its services are subject to cancellations today.

• All The Keighley Bus Company’s services are currently suspended.

• Similarly, all of Team Pennine’s services are suspended.

• The Burnley Bus Company has had to suspend a number of services.

• Metro said its West Yorkshire bus services have been disrupted.

• DalesBus said all its bus services in and around the Yorkshire Dales area are currently suspended.

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

09:40 , Tara Cobham

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

Where’s that plane? Manchester diversions: the score so far

09:20 , Travel correspondent Simon Calder

• Dublin: Hainan Airlines from Beijing, Tui from Barbados, Aer Lingus from New York.

• Shannon: Norse from Barbados.

• Paris CDG: Air Transat from Toronto

• Birmingham: Qatar Airways from Doha, Juneyao Air from Shanghai, Etihad from Abu Dhabi, Vueling from Barcelona.

• London Heathrow: Gulf Air from Bahrain, Virgin Atlantic from Atlanta, Cathay Pacific from Hong Kong.

• Glasgow: Aer Lingus from Orlando.

What weather warnings have been issued by Met Office across UK today

09:09 , Tara Cobham

Two amber weather warnings from the Met Office have been put in place in England and Wales, with 3cm to 7cm of snowfall predicted for much of the affected area, mixing with rain at times in lower-lying areas.

The forecaster has also issued yellow warnings covering almost the entire country across the weekend.

• One amber warning for snow and freezing rain, which covers much of Wales and the Midlands as far north as Manchester, is in place until midday on Sunday.

• The second amber warning for snow, covering most of northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District, is in place until midnight on Sunday.

• A yellow warning for snow and ice covers most of the remaining parts of England and Wales until midnight.

• A yellow warning for snow and ice covers large parts of Northern Ireland from 6pm on Sunday.

• The north of Scotland is covered by a yellow warning for ice until 10am on Sunday.

• Another yellow warning for snow and ice is in place in the east of central Scotland until 6am on Monday.

• And a yellow warning for snow is in place across most of southern Scotland between midnight on Sunday and 6am on Monday.

• There is also a yellow warning for rain covering much of Wales and the West Midlands on Sunday from 6am to 9pm.

• Another yellow warning for rain covering most of southern England is in place from 8.51am on Sunday until 9am on Monday.

Will Liverpool vs Manchester United be postponed?

09:00 , Tara Cobham

The clash between Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester United may be in doubt after heavy snow hit the United Kingdom overnight.

Liverpool are due to host their rivals at Anfield at 4.30pm GMT on Sunday afternoon as they look to extend their lead at the top of the table.

While the pitch is likely to be able to be made playable, the safety of travelling fans will also be considered with regards to a possible postponement.

My colleague Harry Latham-Coyle from The Independent’s sports team reports:

Will Liverpool vs Man Utd be postponed due to snow?

As much as 12cm of snow falls in snowiest place in UK

08:47 , Tara Cobham

As much as 12cm of snow has fallen in Bingley, West Yorkshire, according to the Met Office.

The town was the snowiest place in the UK as of 7am this morning.

Both Shap in Cumbria and Capel Curig, Gwynedd, saw 10cm overnight.

More diversions from Manchester airport as cancellations begin

08:20 , Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent

Heavy snow has closed both runways at the UK’s third-busiest airport, Manchester. The last plane landed at 6.05am, and since then a procession of long-haul planes has been waiting to touch down.

So far Qatar Airways from Doha and Vueling from Barcelona have gone to Birmingham, while the Virgin Atlantic flight from Atlanta landed at London Heathrow. Aer Lingus from Orlando in Florida is currently on the ground at Glasgow.

The crews will be hoping to fly on to Manchester once at least one runway reopens, but there will be severe congestion for arrivals and departures.

KLM has grounded its morning flight from Amsterdam to Manchester, as well as the outbound service.

Diversions begin from Manchester airport

08:08 , Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent

Airline passengers across England are facing severe disruption as airports are hit by heavy snow. Bristol airport closed for several hours on Saturday night, with dozens of diversions, delays and cancellations – and Manchester airport has closed both runways due to the snow, along with nearby Liverpool airport.

The diversions have begun. Passengers on the Qatar Airways overnight flight from Doha are blearily rubbing their eyes in Birmingham airport. Flight QR21 arrived in the Manchester area slightly behind schedule, just after the runway closed. It held for 50 minutes before diverting south to the West Midlands airport.

The last flight to land was Tui from Barbados at 6.05am, and in the following 90 minutes there are 10 more long-haul planes waiting to touch down. From the east, aircraft are holding from Beijing, Shanghai, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. From across the Atlantic, planes from New York, Atlanta, Orlando and Toronto, and another couple from Barbados.

Most have been flying holding patterns for half-an-hour or more, with more diversion declarations likely imminently.

Each time a plane diverts, it sets up problems for passengers later in the day. For example, the Qatar Airways flight was due out at 7.45am, with hundreds of passengers due to transfer to other flights to Africa, Asia and Australasia.

Manchester airport closure likely to cause severe disruption

07:48 , Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent

“Our runways are temporarily closed due to heavy snow, as our teams work hard to clear them as quickly as possible” – that announcement from Manchester airport shortly after 6am signals severe disruption for many thousands of passengers. “We will update you as soon as possible.”

Manchester airport is the third-busiest in the UK, after London Heathrow and Gatwick, and it has had a really difficult night, with every single flight since 10.30pm on Saturday delayed.

The closure of both runways will prove annoying for the tens of thousands of passengers waiting to fly out, but at least they can stay put. The last flight to land was Tui from Barbados at 6.05am, and in the following 90 minutes there are 11 long-haul planes waiting to touch down. From the east, aircraft are holding from Beijing, Shanghai, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha. From across the Atlantic, planes from New York, Atlanta, Orlando and Toronto, and another couple from Barbados.

Diversions look certain to start soon – last time this happened in Manchester, in January 2003, planes landed as far away as Dublin and Paris.

What is freezing rain and why is it dangerous?

07:30 , Stuti Mishra

The Met Office has warned of snow and ice, with the risk of rare freezing rain, across most of England and Wales over the weekend.

The phenomenon – commonly known as ice storms in North America – is not often seen in the UK because the conditions needed for it are quite specific, according to the forecaster.

Read more:

What is freezing rain and why is it dangerous?