UK weather Schools close as Beast from the East hits

UK weather Schools close as Beast from the East hits



A striking image captured the 'Beast from the East' as it bore down on the capital today as Britain braces for transport chaos.



Commuters were hampered by heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures as they tried to head home from London this afternoon.



Trains and overground services were hit by delays and cancellations, while roads across Britain ground to a hault as four people were killed in two separate car crashes.



Three women died after a Renault Clio and a white Scania lorry collided at around 6.15am today on the A15 at Baston, south of Bourne. 



Police said the women are believed to be in their 30s and 40s.



Cambridgeshire Constabulary said another man had died during an crash that involved three vehicles on the A47 near Peterborough shortly before 10am.



And Essex police said one person was injured in a 17-car pile-up on the A120 between Colchester and Elmstead Market.



Scores of trains were cancelled today, including around one in three of the services leaving London's Liverpool Street for Essex - with routes to Southend and Braintree among those hit, along with trains to Ipswich in Suffolk.



There are also delays and cancellations on services from London Victoria and Charing Cross to Kent. Southeastern's High Speed services to Kent from St Pancras are also being cancelled this afternoon.



Roads across the UK have seen a heavy blanketing of snow today, with other police forces reporting treacherous driving conditions and blocked routes - as the country is hit by Siberian air dubbed the 'Beast from the East'.



Highways England said the M20 in Kent had become blocked by a 'number' of stranded lorries overnight, while the A249 was shut due to a crash. Meanwhile shelves at an Asda in Gillingham, Kent, have been cleared of bread.





Many schools across the country were shut today, including more than 200 in Wales, 131 in Kent and 62 in East Sussex. The lowest overnight temperature of -8.9C (16F) was recorded in Farnborough, Hampshire.



Parts of Kent have reported up to 8in (20cm) of snow, with the highest official snow depth so far today being 4.3in (11cm) at Tibenham Airfield in Norfolk, followed by 3.1in (8cm) at Redesdale Camp in Northumberland.



The icy blast overnight has caused misery for commuters with scores of trains cancelled. Some shoppers reported supermarkets were busier than usual, but retailers said they have not seen widespread panic buying.



But police were called to a Co-op supermarket in the Kent village of Lenham this morning after a row broke out between three frantic shoppers who were trying to panic buy milk.



A witness said his wife had seen a 'full-blown argument' between the managers and a customer who was seeking to 'selfishly stockpile milk'. Officers broke up the 'minor dispute' before the culprits left the shop.



Parts of Britain are forecast to feel as cold as -15C (5F). Areas around Harrogate and Craven were also particularly treacherous, according to North Yorkshire Police.



The Met Office said several centimetres of snow had fallen in some parts over the night - with 1cm (0.4in) in Kent by 5am, and between 3cm (1.1in) and 4cm (1.6in) in Newcastle and Northumberland.



The severe weather comes amid various reported issues on public transport, including:



Southeastern, which operates in Kent, has cancelled dozens of trains, including several to London St Pancras

Greater Anglia is also be running a limited services between Norwich and Ipswich, and London and Cambridge

Great Northern said fewer trains are running between King's Lynn in Norfolk and Cambridge during peak times

TfL Rail only started its trains at 7am, with a limited service between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield

British Airways has cancelled dozens of flights from Heathrow today, while easyJet is expecting disruption

Tonight's League One football match between Bristol Rovers and Wigan has been postponed because of freezing temperatures. Rovers said their pitch was covered but would have frozen once the covers were removed.



The Checkatrade Trophy match between Shrewsbury Town and Yeovil Town is also off 'with the safety of players and spectators in mind'.



Council officials in Kent were accused of creating 'hype and panic' after they declared a 'snow emergency' across the county yesterday. At the time, most areas had only received a light dusting of snow.



The decision was ridiculed yesterday. Ken Horn tweeted: '[I] haven't seen the severe weather anywhere today travelling around. We coped very well in 1963, sure we can do it again without all the hype and panic!'



Seventeen cars were involved in a pile-up on the A120 between Colchester and Elmsted Market, Essex Police said.



One person suffered minor injuries in the incident on the Clacton-bound carriageway, which occurred at 10am today amid heavy snow. Footage showed a lorry among the vehicles at a standstill on one side of the road.