Drivers leaving their Christmas getaway until the last minute enjoyed some respite from the recent bad weather today, although more icy conditions are on the way and heavy snow is expected later in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The higher temperatures mean bookies are very unlikely to have to pay out for a white Christmas, which requires snow to fall on a specified weather station in London on Christmas Day. Bookmakers William Hill said yesterday it had received 15,000 bets for a white Christmas in London, where it was offering odds of 2/1. Other parts of the country are likely to see snow today.
In Northern Ireland snow is expected to push in from the west during the afternoon with 10cm possible over higher ground. The Scottish Highlands and Grampian region could also see 10cm of snow. Aberdeen was favourite to see snow with William Hill at 5/6.
Motoring organisations had been advising people to delay their journeys over the past few days because of hazardous conditions, with temperatures were noticeably warmer in many areas today and a high of 8C expected in Newquay on the south-west coast. Before the big freeze, 15% of the population were expecting to make a fairly long journey on Christmas Day but the recent problems caused by the weather means more people are likely to be on the roads.
Driving conditions were still poor in areas, and the M1 was closed for more than three hours after a crash involving seven or eight vehicles near Long Eaton. One passenger was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.
The Met Office advised motorists to take extra care in areas affected by snow. It also predicted a return of icy roads in much of England and Wales from late afternoon into tomorrow morning as temperatures drop later today.
But temperatures are expected to rise once again during the day tomorrow, particularly on the south coast where they will be pushing double figures.
The recent disruption to roads, rail and flights continued yesterday. Most of the major UK airports reported delays and cancellations on Christmas Eve, with easyJet grounding 16 flights. The bad weather axed a number of train services from Glasgow Central station. There were lengthy queues at the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras in London where police helped to control the crowds. Eurostar resumed services between London, Paris and Brussels on Tuesday after a three-day suspension following tunnel breakdowns. The company was running about two-thirds of its normal service yesterday and said it expects to run a "near normal" service from Boxing Day.
On the roads, there were problems on the M40 in Warwickshire, caused by a broken down vehicle, and on the M25.
The Highways Agency has lifted roadworks at 44 sites until midnight on 3 January in an attempt to ease the congestion, but some works remain in place, including those around the northern part of the M25.
