Will I make it home for Xmas?
Source: Filip Bunkens on Unsplash
Snow and ice delay Christmas getaway
Snow and ice continues to cause travel chaos in large parts of the UK, a day after thousands of motorists were stranded by wintry conditions.Flights from Luton, Gatwick, Stansted, Glasgow and Edinburgh airports are still disrupted.
Eurostar resumed a limited service on Tuesday, after being closed for three days due to extreme weather in France.
The freezing conditions are affecting parts of England and Wales, with the south east and London worst affected.
BBC forecaster Chris Fawkes said ice was the major problem, and there would be more snow in northern Scotland and north-west England during the day.
He said Aberdeen might have a white Christmas but the rest of the UK could expect dry conditions.
Christmas service
Roads in south-east England were brought to a standstill on Monday, forcing thousands to spend the night in their cars or emergency rest centres.
Many flights were also suspended, with people stranded at airports or unable to reach the terminals, and the disruption has continued on Tuesday.
EasyJet flights appear to be the worst affected - though it says it has operated more than 80% of its flights over the last few days, albeit with some delays.
EasyJet flights from Luton are cancelled until 1130 GMT, and Easjet travellers can expect "severe disruption" at Gatwick.
Simon Calder, travel editor of the Independent, said although there were still delays and cancellations, it was not as bad as predicted.
"Easyjet cancelled 200 flights yesterday, leaving 30,000 people out of position and there could be a similar number today because the planes and the crews are in the wrong places," he said.
He also said Easyjet might, for the first time, operate flights on Christmas Day to help catch up.
All passengers are advised to contact their airline.
Channel crossings
The Eurostar train service reopened on Tuesday after being closed for three days due to the severe weather in northern France.
The company said it would be concentrating on easing the "massive backlog", rather than selling new tickets.
Eurotunnel said it was managing to clear the backlog of cars and lorries waiting to use its Channel Tunnel car service.
Anyone without a reservation or with a day trip ticket was being advised not to show up, as the priority would be to clear those people who were meant to travel over the weekend.
Problems also persist on public transport in many parts of the UK.
Southeastern trains said it would be operating a Saturday timetable service on mainline, metro and high-speed routes on Tuesday, with a normal weekday service for Thameslink trains run via Blackfriars.
The company said there would be additional high-speed services through the day and a shuttle service between London Bridge and Cannon Street during the morning and evening peak times.
In Scotland, police have advised drivers to take care in the wintry conditions and only make essential journeys.
Freezing temperatures have also affected much of Wales overnight, causing traffic problems and forcing schools to close.
Emergency centres
In Basingstoke in Hampshire, 2,000 vehicles ground to a halt on Monday, leaving about 3,000 people stranded, Hampshire Constabulary said.
Five emergency rest centres were set up in the Basingstoke area for those who could not get home.
Thousands of motorists and passengers were also stuck in Berkshire and south Oxfordshire.
Many spent the night in freezing conditions after roads in the counties became gridlocked on Monday afternoon.
South Central Ambulance, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire, said there had been a 70% increase in calls.
There were also long delays on the M4, the M3 and the M40, to the north and west of London.
The AA said Monday was its busiest day in 10 years with its own patrols getting stuck.
Has your travel plans ever been disrupted by adverse weather?
Comments
As I live here, in Madrid, I don´t worry about going home. I´m lucky, but I understand people who can´t come back home by freezing conditions, snow, ice and so on. This situation in the United Kingdom, in 2009, reminds me "Filomena", the big storm which was in Madrid, last January, with snow, wind and cold.
I can see that the storm caused travel chaos in the UK, but not only people who went home by car, motorbike, plane or on public transport, but also people who work on emergency centres, crews, train services, shuttle services, police, emergency centres, ambulances and schoolchildren. We can do nothing.
I don´t have to disrupt any travel plans now by adverse weather, but I did it in the past. However, when you are young seldom you disrupt travel plans because you feel strong and your are a bit reckless but, after, you disrupt travel plans a lot of times, especially if you have a family.
See you.
As you know, I have countless stories to tell about journeys from hell. Last year, Filomena (and the sheer incompetence of Iberia) meant I had to queue for ten hours simply to report my suitcase missing. To add insult to injury, they refused to deliver my case to my home. I enjoy getting away from Madrid now and again but getting a flight fills me with dread.
As I live here, in Madrid, I don´t have to worry about going home. I´m lucky, but I sympathise with people who can´t get back home due to adverse weather conditions such as snow, ice and so on. This situation in the United Kingdom, in 2009, reminds me of "Filomena", the big storm which was in Madrid, last January, with snow, wind and cold.
I can see that the storm caused travel chaos in the UK, not only for people who went home by car, motorbike, plane or on public transport, but also people who work in emergency centres, crews, train services, shuttle services, police, ambulances and schoolchildren. There was nothing we could do about it.
I don´t do much travelling now, but I did in the past. However, when you are young, disruption to travel plans is seldom a problem because you feel strong and your are a bit reckless but then if you have a family, travel disruption is more of a headache.