News from the community

The UK is entering a prolonged cold spell which could bring one of the earliest significant snowfalls since 1993, according to weather forecasters.

Heavy snow and freezing conditions returned to Britain with travel chaos which lasted for many weeks.

The big freeze returned with a vengeance as heavy snow closed schools, shut airports and brought traffic to a standstill.

Thousands of passengers who thought they had beaten the worsening weather when they landed at Heathrow found themselves trapped in their planes on the Tarmac as the airport ran out of parking spaces.

There were many dozens of flights cancelled into and out of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, affecting more than 16,000 passengers.

Some parts of England were hit with between 25cm and 30cm of fresh snow, just as many up and down the country begin the big Christmas getaway.

Downing Street was forced to deny there was a heating oil crisis today as freezing conditions gripped the country again, closing almost 2,000 schools, causing flights to be suspended at regional airports, trains to be cancelled and long tailbacks on motorways. The AA said callouts were running at 1,500 an hour – 50% up on normal – as temperatures plunged to as low as -6C and roads became treacherous