UK: The Big Freeze Part II: Thousands of Schools Shut & Drivers Stranded...and There's More to Come
- Up to eight inches of snow falls overnight
- AA urges Government to step in over low grit levels
- Thousands of schools close across the country
- Airports shut as trains and buses are cancelled
- Second walker in two days dies in Lake District
Heavy snow covered much of Britain again today, causing thousands more school closures and chaos on the transport network.
Drivers battled blizzards, airports had to close their runways and trains and bus services were once again disrupted after up to eight inches fell in places.
As the wintry weather continues, councils running low on gritting salt have been forced to ration their stocks while suppliers desperately try to import more in from Europe.
Road safety campaigners joined the calls for the Government to step in immediately to ensure local authorities worst hit have the grit they need.
AA President Edmund King warned: 'This is a very serious situation with some roads becoming death traps.'
Travel misery: Cars on the side of the road towards Luton Airport today as jams built up. Flights in and out were also cancelled
Adrian Tink from the RAC added: 'The number of roads that haven't been gritted is a big concern and has a serious impact on driver safety.'
He demanded the Government set up an independent review of how Britain copes with snow and ice to ensure the shortage is not repeated.
Meanwhile, the conditions claimed two more lives - both walkers who had been trapped out in the Lake District.
The body of a man, 60, was found today after the first man was airlifted from the peaks yesterday and died in hospital overnight.
However, two hillwalkers, men aged 22 and 29, who had been missing in the Cairngorms in Scotland were found alive and plucked to safety by helicopter.
RAF spokesman Michael Mulford said: 'There was a great deal of snow and wind and it was very cold. It is good to see a happy ending.'
Danger: Cars battle deep snow on a road in Duston, Northampton
Caution: A driver takes care in the snow in Littleworth, Worcestershire
The Midlands, Devon, Wales, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire - where many councils have admitted they are struggling with low stocks of grit - were among the worst affected areas by the latest snow.
There are fears it could now move to London and the south east, bringing the week to a close as it began - in chaos with transport links almost at a standstill.
Drivers today not only had to cope with blizzards in many places but the added perils of the fresh snow covering ice left over from earlier this week.
The M4 and M5 were particularly hit by the swirling snow this morning while traffic on the M1 - where two lorries jack-knifed and one junction was closed - also struggled.
More than 500 schools were shut in Essex on Monday, 300 in Gloucestershire, at least 170 in Wales, a quarter of all those in Birmingham and hundreds elsewhere across the Midlands and Home Counties. In Scotland, almost 100 closed in Aberdeen alone.
Running low: This depot for gritting salt in Towester, Northamptonshire, is normally full. After days of snow and ice, it is now almost empty
National Rail warned train services in Wales, Yorkshire, central and south west England may be delayed or cancelled and some bus services were also halted.
And airports including Luton, East Midlands and Birmingham were forced to close to allow staff to clear the snow. All morning flights to and from Luton were cancelled.
A spokesman at Birmingham International Airport said: 'It's like painting the Forth Bridge - as soon as you cleared the runway or the tarmac it was still coming down.'
Ambulance services in many counties again urged people only to call 999 if absolutely necessary because driving conditions were so difficult.
And in Bath, the Royal United Hospital asked patients and visitors not to travel there unless absolutely necessary.
Ominous: A satellite image shows the weather system above the UK today
The latest snow came amid growing concern about low stocks of gritting salt with many councils already warning they only have enough to use on the main roads.
Suppliers and councils have been forced to order in extra salt from abroad to meet the demand as the cold snap continues.
'The salt supplies are being gradually used up. We have about three or four days left,' Derek Turner, from the Highways Agency, admitted this morning.
Cleveland Potash, which supplies the Highways Agency, said it had arranged for 40,000 tonnes of salt to be imported from its sister mine in Spain.
Britain's biggest supplier, the Salt Union, has already warned that it was unable to meet the demand despite staff working around the clock.
'We have been operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week since the beginning of January and are extracting 30 million kilos per week but the unexpected and unusual weather means that, even working at this level, demand is outstripping supply,' it said.
The Local Government Association has confirmed some supplies are so low they will soon have to focus on A and B roads and bus routes, leaving minor roads untreated.
Alternative transport: Enzo Peagram from Cheltenham uses his Siberian husky dogs to pull his bike along a snow-covered path
Snowed in: A man clears his drive of snow in Overseal, Derbyshire, one of the counties worst hit by the latest wintry weather
More widespread school closures raised the possibility some children could have the whole week off if the snow lasts until tomorrow.
Scottish, English and Welsh schools were all forced to stay shut, some for the fourth day in a row but head teachers and councils were quick to defend the move.
In Powys, Wales, where all 120 primary and secondary schools were closed, Councillor Douglas Wilson said: 'Decisions such as these are not taken lightly.
'We have taken this decision following the latest weather advice and to remove any uncertainty.'
Helping hand: Construction workers pushing a car in Aberdeen
Blizzards: A street in Aberdeen as the snow swirls
Almost 100 schools shut in Aberdeenshire where several roads were also closed as heavy snow continued to fall.
At the city's airport, the runway was closed as they battled the latest deluge.
Across the country, children kept out of school and their parents were being warned to be very careful while playing in the snow.
On Tuesday afternoon, Francesca Anobile, 16, was killed while sledging on a car bonnet with friends after they lost control and ploughed into a fence.
Deputy chief fire officer Dave Etheridge, from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said topday: 'Youngsters in particular can see snow as an opportunity to play and enjoy themselves.
'While this may be the case, we would hope both they and their parents are vigilant and wary of the dangers.'
Too cold: Like the rest of us, the elephants at Twycross Zoo in Birmingham dislike getting their feet wet in the snow