Britain Paralyzed by Longest Cold Snap in 19 Years
As U.K. shivers, hundreds of cars stuck in snow
Flights, trains and classes cancelled amid winter blast, worst in 30 years
The Associated Press, Jan. 6, 2010
LONDON
- Unusually heavy snowfall stranded hundreds of motorists, disrupted
trains and shut down schools and airports across Britain on Wednesday
as the country suffered through its longest cold snap in nearly 30
years.
Airports
across the country were paralyzed, with London's Gatwick and Stansted
unable to operate and hundreds of flights canceled. At Gatwick, where
the only runway had been shut for snow clearance all day, more than 240
flights were canceled. London Luton airport was closed until early
afternoon. A dozen flights were also canceled at London's Heathrow
airport, Europe's busiest, with long lines building at check-in desks.
The
foul weather also badly hit Britain's road network. Sections of the
country's most important highways — including the M1, which links
London and Leeds — were closed, and the military was called in
overnight to help rescue motorists when up to 1,000 vehicles were
caught in a snow-related traffic jam in Hampshire, in southern England.
Many people were evacuated to nearby rescue centers but some slept in
their vehicles overnight.
The
demands on rescue workers in southern England were so overwhelming that
coast guard workers turned their skills from sea to land to help out.
Train
services were also affected, with lines in southern England reporting
reduced services. Eurostar, whose service through the Channel Tunnel
was frozen for days by snow-related problems in the run-up to
Christmas, said it was canceling four services Wednesday due to the
weather. Nationwide, thousands of schools closed down.
However
London's transport system, which practically ground to a halt when snow
hit the capital in February, only suffered minor disruptions.
Ill-equipped for heavy snowfall
British
winters are typically mild, and cities and towns are generally
ill-equipped to deal with heavy snowfall. With the worst-hit areas
seeing up to 16 inches of snow, officials and road crews were
struggling to keep up.
Several
local governments were running out of sand and salt — with some
reportedly emptying department stores of supplies. The wintry weather
has prompted some police forces to urge drivers to stay off the roads
and some trash collectors to suspend their rounds.
The
national weather office says Britain is experiencing its longest cold
snap since 1981. The unusually cold weather is expected to continue for
the next two weeks.
Forecasters say that, while rare, the recent bout of cold weather isn't necessarily a sign of climate change.
Robin
Thwaytes, the duty forecaster at Britain's weather office, said "it's
very unusual for something like this to last as long as it has," but
noted that such events can happen every 20 to 30 years.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
