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Heavy London snow halts all travel (From Your Local Guardian)
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Heavy London snow halts all travel
7:20pm Monday 2nd February 2009
The heaviest snow in 18 years has brought traffic chaos across south London with a plane skidding at Heathrow, the M25 closed, no trains or buses running and schools shut for two days.
The capital was covered in up to seven inches of snow, with forecasters warning of “a further five or six inches” to come.
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Snow and ice are being blamed for a Cyprus Airways flight to slip off the taxiway, lodging its wheel in the grass.
No-one was injured but the airport was forced to immediately close both its runways, said a spokesman for BAA, Heathrow’s owner.
The southern runway has since reopened. However, BA grounded all flights until 5pm and the Heathrow website stated “significant” delays were expected to continue.
City Airport was closed for the day. Flights were in operation at Gatwick, but "may be subject to delay and cancellation", the airport said.
All London buses and the entire south London tram network were withdrawn from service due to “adverse weather and dangerous roads”. A partial bus timetable resumed on Monday afternoon, Transport for London (TfL) said.
On the Tube, 10 of the 11 lines were wholly or partially suspended by 7.30am. Most lines continued to suffer major disruption throughout Monday.
South West Trains (SWT), Southern and the Heathrow Express all suspended their London rail services on Monday morning. SWT and Southern has since resumed skeleton services.
Drifting snow caused the M25 to be closed clockwise between junctions 8 (Reigate) and 9 (Leatherhead) in Surrey due to snow. Tailbacks stretched as far as 32 miles.
Most London schools were closed on Monday, with thousands of parents being told not to take their children in. Many will remain shut on Tuesday.
Many hospitals, including Epsom Hospital and St Georges in Tooting, suspended planned surgery and outpatient appointments after hospital staff failed to reach their work places.
London saw its heaviest snowfalls since 1991 as temperatures plummeted to as low as -2.4C.
The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning, saying further outbreaks of snow are expected into Tuesday.
Helen Chivers, spokesman for the Met Office, said: "This further snowfall, on top of what has already fallen, will cause further disruption.
“Some areas which have already had a lot of snow could see a further five or six inches.
"As well as the snow it will be extremely icy by Tuesday morning.”
The wintry weather is set to continue for the rest of the week, she added.
The build up of snow in suburban areas around local bus garages led TfL to cancel all bus services on Monday morning.
TfL managing director David Brown said: “We're taking the situation hour by hour and trying to get as much of the service going as possible.
“We haven't seen anything like this for two decades and the volume of snow has made it very difficult.”
A total of 500 gritters were out on TfL’s network of main roads in London.
Surrey County Council said it had 42 snow ploughs out and about, focusing on A-roads.
The AA said motorists were “flirting with hypothermia” if they did not keep warm clothes in their cars when going out.
"People often treat their car as an overcoat. But when you break down you are suddenly vulnerable to the weather,” said AA spokesman Andy Taylor.
"If you break down on a motorway, the safety advice is to get out of the car and wait behind the barrier. Unless you have extra clothes you really are flirting with hypothermia."
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Your Say YourLocal Guardian
Duchesslady, Sutton says...
8:43am Mon 2 Feb 09
I attempted to get to Sutton station at 6.30am this morning but trying to open the door and walking 5 mins to the station was a long trek and then when got there the shutters were down and sign saying no service so back home..... great start to the working week......
scoffer, Beckenham says...
8:53am Mon 2 Feb 09
macmeldrew, says...
9:37am Mon 2 Feb 09
CroydonGeorge, Scottish Borders says...
9:40am Mon 2 Feb 09
Apart from the WWII years I think GB has had the worst start to the PM's job of anybody previously. And now the snow has added immensely to the problems of the UK.
ANNE GILES, SELSDON says...
10:44am Mon 2 Feb 09
macmeldrew wrote:Warm, sunny Eastern shores? My nephew's partner comes from Slovakia and they often have quite a lot of snow there as well. However, Eastern Europeans do like hard work. They would have had all our roads gritted before the heavy snowfall had even started. It should not have been left. As it is, only two receptionists managed to get in to our surgery and only one doctor. Two chemists are closed in Selsdon. The only one open as no pharmacist. The Forestdale chemist is open. I have a chest infection. My husband is having to walk all the way to the Selsdon surgery to fetch my prescription and then all the way to Forestdale to get the antibiotics. Our grit box was emptied by residents of a neighbouring street, as the Council had not bothered to grit it and a bus had got stuck. Backward England has closed down again.
It puzzles me why anyone from warm,sunny and Eastern shores would want to come and stay!
tramlinker, croydon says...
11:05am Mon 2 Feb 09
tramlinker, croydon says...
11:29am Mon 2 Feb 09
macmeldrew wrote:Beats me too!
It puzzles me why anyone from warm,sunny and Eastern shores would want to come and stay!
I hope not, Sutton says...
11:34am Mon 2 Feb 09
Having said that, although we usually complain about the odd inch of snow, it's been a while since we've had quite this much in Sutton that I can remember and it is very dangerous out, some heavy branches have just fallen off straight into the main road near where I live, where luckily there were no cars about, but enough good people to clear it off the road so that cars could get through. Very treacherous conditions today and I hope everyone is ok at the end of it.
ric, kingston says...
12:12pm Mon 2 Feb 09
how can you prepare for snow like this. end of my road as loads of grit but the snow has just sat on top of it. grits not like some special kryptonite you know. it has its limits.
your pharmacist is not at work because he's blagging a day off like the rest of the country...lol
Womble, Wimbledon says...
12:25pm Mon 2 Feb 09
I walked into work today & decided to turn what everyone is looking at like a Disaster, into a beautiful reminder of how lovely our wcountry can be... OK my journey took longer & was colder than normal, but everywhere were smiling faces, throwing snowballs, building snow men. OK, some of us are not teenagers & yes I worried about wobbling & possibly falling over, BUT come on! Its not all doom & gloom, The snow will be gone as quickly as it came & along with it will go the opportunity to make some lasting beautiful memories for your children & friends.
Lighten up UK (thats aimed at my neighbours who complained to the police last night coz me & my kids were making snow angels & throwing snowballs in the street!). Do people really forget how to have fun??????
suechelsea, croydon says...
12:42pm Mon 2 Feb 09
I hope not, Sutton says...
1:09pm Mon 2 Feb 09
tramlinker, croydon says...
3:01pm Mon 2 Feb 09
suechelsea wrote:I bet that the old-age pensioners freezing in their unheated homes are enjoying how lovely it all is!Perhaps there should be a place for them to keep warm in Lunar House in Croydon?
Everyone is going on about how lovely it is to see so much snow but how lovely is it to see all the kids (adults included!!) playing and having fun in the streets, snowballing - this is what this country needs a bit of feel good factor!
Hephaistos, Sunbury says...
3:02pm Mon 2 Feb 09
I hope not wrote:Tree lovers, particularly local government planners, should note that it is dangerous to plant trees, and leave already mature trees alongside roads if their local authority does not have a regular tree inspection and maintenance programme: which few, if any, of them appear to operate.
There are no buses, no trains, no one at my work at all as no-one could get in and it isn't looking promising for tomorrow too.
Having said that, although we usually complain about the odd inch of snow, it's been a while since we've had quite this much in Sutton that I can remember and it is very dangerous out, some heavy branches have just fallen off straight into the main road near where I live, where luckily there were no cars about, but enough good people to clear it off the road so that cars could get through. Very treacherous conditions today and I hope everyone is ok at the end of it.
Hephaistos, Sunbury says...
3:26pm Mon 2 Feb 09
Buses continued to operate even in the thick pea-souper fogs we used to experience. A much more challenging experience for the then bus drivers.
We also used regularly to see demonstrations of how double-decker buses could skid at speed and not tople over.
Many buses now are single deckers so should be even more stable.
Tyre have improved immeasurably.
Vehicle engines and transmissions have improved immeasurably.
Are bus drivers less well trained, competent and disciplined than they used to be years ago ?.
The passage of buses used to contribute greatly to clearing the roads because of their many and large tyres which churned up the snow and salt.
On my short walk in outer London this morning inexperienced drivers lacking the wit to realise they should clear the snow off the windows and roof of their cars, to drive safely, seemed to be able to cope with the conditions.
Harry_, London says...
3:51pm Mon 2 Feb 09
As for the idiotic remarks about Backward Britain - this country is an exceptionally fine one, far too good for people who spout such drivel.
Fred1, Surbiton says...
4:38pm Mon 2 Feb 09
Did you not realise that the snow was coming? Did you not think that it might be a good idea to get an extra couple of spuds from the supermarket on Saturday, just in case you needed it to tie you over?
And as for commuters, you have to ask how many of their jobs are really that important. For people who work in healthcare and critical infrastructure, such as electricity and water treatment, yes, I appreciate that these things *are* important. But then again, those who are managing infrastructure systems which are *that* important should not be relying on staff who live a long way away from the works and who have to commute in the first place.
If you have to commute, then face facts, it's a sign that your job isn't actually that important. If it *was* important, you would be provided with accommodation nearer your workplace.
I hope not, Sutton says...
6:09pm Mon 2 Feb 09
Some are now running though.
I'll check TFL website in the morning, if they're running, I'll catch one to work, if not, I'll walk.
ASG, Sutton says...
6:54pm Mon 2 Feb 09
On walking into Sutton this morning at 11.00 I found no sign of salting or sanding for pedestrians or even motorists come to that. The risk of falling was considerable. Our council appears to be very good at littering our roads with humps and bumps but unable to spend money on shovels, salt and sand.
ANNE GILES, SELSDON says...
9:54pm Mon 2 Feb 09
Hephaistos, Sunbury says...
3:57am Tue 3 Feb 09
I hope not wrote:Our policemen are no longer wonderful.
According to the BBC News, The buses did not run after consultations between TFL and Met Police who decided the safest decision was not to run them in the appalling conditions. Fair decision.
Some are now running though.
I'll check TFL website in the morning, if they're running, I'll catch one to work, if not, I'll walk.
Trust them to make a decision without considering the consequences.
What did they know about road conditions everywhere throughout London ?. Hardly any of them ever venture onto the streets, particularly early in the morning and on a bad weather day.
Why could not Tfl make their own decision ?, if one was needed.
Never before did the management of London's buses consider that they should do anything other than try to run the buses, whatever the circumstances. Neither did the then management go running to someone else to get cover for their failure to take the right decision.
If the buses had run their regular journeys churning the snow,(and salt, where any was laid), would have made a major contribution to clearing the roads as they always have done previously.
Who did initiate the process that lead to the failure to run the buses ????.
scoffer, Beckenham says...
12:20pm Tue 3 Feb 09
Brian Sewer, Tarring W.Sussex says...
2:25pm Tue 3 Feb 09
Lets see if these plonkers can get organised for a change
ANNE GILES, SELSDON says...
8:34pm Tue 3 Feb 09
scoffer wrote:Wrong. Gordon Brown did not organise the snow. God did and Gordon Brown is not God.
Here in sunny Becks the glorious sunshine is now doing what was beyond the railway companies... getting snow off rails and points... the rail companies are treating the travelling public with contempt - what choice do we have ? well - why not have your say everytime there is an election and give smug Gordon Brown a bloody nose for allowing this nonsense to happen in the first place.
Bob Peel, Croydon says...
10:24am Wed 4 Feb 09
The trouble is Gorgon Broon remains convinced he is.........
ANNE GILES, SELSDON says...
10:28am Wed 4 Feb 09
Bob Peel wrote:You're probably right there, Bob!!! :)
"Wrong. Gordon Brown did not organise the snow. God did and Gordon Brown is not God." The trouble is Gorgon Broon remains convinced he is.........
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Snowboarder Gareth Calvert in Raynes Park. Picture: Gareth Harmer
Amy and Scarlett Turner on Epsom Downs. Picture: Chris Gray
The snow in Coulsdon is at least six to eight inches thick. Sent in by John Garbutt.
A stranded motorist on Epsom Downs. Snow has caused major disruption on the roads. Picture: Chris Gray
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I hope not, Sutton says...
8:37am Mon 2 Feb 09