Heavy snow creates chaos in UK
Baku, December 7 (AZERTAC). Britain`s second-largest airport was closed for a second day because of unseasonal wintry weather that was also affecting the European continent.
All flights into and out of London`s Gatwick Airport were canceled until 6 a.m., the airport said. It asked passengers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport. Planes sat at the gates covered in snow and a spokesman said the snow was falling on the airport`s lone runway faster than crews could clear it.
Airport officials handed out 1,000 blankets along with food and water to stranded passengers who had little to do but sit around and hope for the weather to improve.
The United Kingdom has seen the heaviest and most widespread amount of snow since 1993 and the deepest November snow since 1965, the Met Office, Britain`s weather forecaster, said.
Forecasters issued severe weather warnings Thursday, predicting heavy snow for many parts of the country including Scotland, northeast England, parts of central England, and the entire south from Cornwall to London and the southeast.
Edinburgh Airport in Scotland was closed because of heavy snow, the airport said. London`s Heathrow Airport was open, but said some airlines were experiencing delays and cancellations because of snow disruptions at other airports.
Eurostar, which operates trains between London and the continent, said it was operating a "significantly reduced" timetable on Thursday with a number of cancellations, along with delays of as much as 90 minutes. It said disruptions were expected through the weekend, and it advised passengers booked to travel through Sunday to postpone their journeys if not essential. The main reason for the snowfall is the cold polar air sweeping across the North Sea, said Mari Ramos of the CNN World Weather Center.
Other news in this section
