Afternoon:
15°c
Heavy snow brings chaos and danger to London roads as getaway starts
Mark Prigg, Science and Technology Editor17 Dec 2010
The return of heavy snow brought traffic chaos to London today as tens of thousands of families prepared for the Christmas getaway.
Up to 5cm settled over much of the capital, just as schools were breaking up for the holidays. There were major delays after a seven-car pile-up in near-blizzard conditions blocked the North Circular Road in Finchley and snarled up the A1000 High Road.
There were jams and hazardous driving conditions on the A1 Holloway Road, and gridlock in Trafalgar Square. Earlier, a 17-year-old died in Kent when his car slid on ice and rolled into a ditch. Police said the accident happened near Ashford just after midnight.
Today Boris Johnson promised Londoners the capital was prepared for anything that the elements could throw at it. He said: “Even if it snows 24 hours a day, morning, noon and night for two weeks, which has never happened before, we have enough grit for our roads.
“We've got prodigious quantities of grit. I'm very confident we'll be able to keep the traffic moving by gritting and we will continue to de-ice and and keep the Underground and Overground going if we possibly can.”
He called on boroughs to increase the number of roads they prepare: “These local roads must be gritted and I really urge these councils not to sit on their salt stocks like Buddhas and wait and wait and wait.”
The route where the fatal crash took place, Ashford Road, closed while gritters salted the road. An investigation is under way. A Kent Police spokesman said: “The 17-year-old was driving his car from Bilsington towards Ashford when it left the road and landed on its roof in a ditch, trapping him underneath.” He was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services.
Today thousands of Southeastern rail commuters suffered disruption because of ice and snow on tracks. Airports in Exeter, Norwich, Belfast and Aberdeen have been closed.
Forecasters said the second big blast of the winter could last until Christmas and warned London to brace itself for “the main event” tomorrow.
Stephen Davenport of MeteoGroup said: “It's going to be another very cold night, but from late morning tomorrow we will see heavy snow. Around London we could see up to 20cm, with around 10cm in central London.”
The warnings prompted many to begin their getaway early. Millions of Britons are planning to travel by road, rail and air in the next few days.
Virgin, which runs trains on the West Coast main line, said today and tomorrow would be its busiest days.
Four million are due to jet overseas, according to the Association of British Travel Agents. About 1.5 million will be flying from Heathrow over Christmas and New Year. The European ski season has started early, while sunseekers are heading for destinations such as Spain, Dubai, Turkey and Florida.
The AA said 18 million cars are expected on the roads during the getaway, with next Thursday likely to be the busiest day. The RAC predicted snarl-ups near malls such as Bluewater in Kent and Lakeside in Essex. It said extra patrolmen were on duty and urged motorists to check traffic and weather conditions before setting off.
Travel round-up
RAIL
Tomorrow and Sunday there will be no trains between Liverpool Street and Stratford, before major engineering works disrupting routes from Christmas Eve until January 3. Services to and from Paddington will be diverted around Reading, while Thameslink services will terminate at King's Cross or London Bridge.
Drivers on London Midland plan a December 23 walkout.
TUBE
This weekend, the Docklands Light Railway will be partly closed between Stratford and Bow Church while, on the Overground, there are replacement buses between Gospel Oak and Stratford after 6pm. On Sunday, there are no trains between Richmond and Stratford until 12.30pm. Disruption is expected for sales shoppers and football fans if the Aslef drivers' Boxing Day strike goes ahead.
ROADS
Traffic volumes are expected to peak on Thursday. The RAC warns congestion is likely on the M25 near junction 2 (Bluewater shopping centre) and junction 30 (Lakeside shopping centre), and junction 9 of the M40 (Bicester Village outlet centre). Icy conditions could also make journeys perilous.
AIR
Heathrow is expecting its busiest weekend of the season, while Gatwick has been equipped with dozens of snow blowers, gritters, sweepers and de-icers. There is the threat of further strikes by air traffic controllers in Spain.
Reader views (42)
As I live with a Spaniard, I watch Spanish news every day as well as BBC. Such a pity BBC does not give an accurate picture of what is going on with the weather. According to BBC it is the UK's inability to cope - with lots of self flagellating Brits willing to join the whine and whinge. For everyone's information, according to Spanish news all weekend: Chaos in London, France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. Frankfurt airport (they always have more snow than us) had over 600 flights cancelled. Airports closed all over Northern Europe and Pisa and Florence airports closed.
- Dep, London, 20/12/2010 07:38
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Snows for one hour in London,airports closed for days.With hundreds of billions taken in Airport Tax,I think its time goverment account for every last penny of this money.Im sure most of this money has ended up on MPs expenses and the rest given to EMPs.
The transport minister should resign,along with Boris who took until 1800hrs Sunday to notice the airports were not operating.
- dave, london, 20/12/2010 07:24
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I went out in Fleet Street at 12.30 in a blizzard and came back 45 minutes later and it was all gone.
- BJ, East London, 17/12/2010 13:36
You will find this is the case in the whole of the City of London I recckon they must have centrally heated roads and pavements!!
Funny how NOGO BOJO has not been seen in publicity shots shovelling snow and grit I suppose such tasks are beneath an old etonian!!
One solution would be to make the fitting of winter tyres a legal requirement in this country between 1st Dec and 31st March.
I bet that Borismaster has not been fitted with grit boxes and snowplough attachments.
Funny thing is transport used to work in the good old days but then Trolley Buses on the 611 on Highgate Hill were fitted with run back breaks and trams were kept running using snow brooms (singlke deck trams for dealing with snow.)
And unlike to-day concrete boxes filled with grit were a permenent fixture in the streets and odd thing is no one thought of nicking it!!
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 19/12/2010 16:02
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Why do the Met Office bother giving out Weather Warnings? A lot of posters on here haven`t taken a bit of notice and have carried on with their plans and then moaned about getting stuck in snow/ice/heavy traffic.
The "heavy snow" was forecast days ago. If some are dopey enough to ignore the warnings, they get what they deserve.
Stay local dummy
- Rowland, Kingston up the Thames, 19/12/2010 11:49
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Drove yesterday to do a job in a property in north London. Left south London at 11am. Everything fine and dandy all the way, hardly any traffic. Got to Stroud Green Road in (north London), everything fell apart. The snow was falling thick and fast. Well we were all told this was going to happen, were we not? Perhaps north London does not get the same news as anyone else. It was absolute gridlock, EVERYWHERE. Snow was completely compacted on EVERY SINGLE ROAD, including the main roads. There was no grit at all, anywhere. If Harringey Council say they gritted the roads then they are LIARS. I got to the road of the job at 2:30 but it was at the top of a hill. A lot of Harringey is built on hills. Guess what Harringey Council, hills are worse when it is icy, they need grit. There was a gritter stuck halfway up the hill. Advice for Harringey Council. Get the gritters out BEFORE the snow (the snow we were ALL warned about) not after, because it is too late. Could not get my van up the hill, so cancelled job. Started to head home and headed for the A406 avoiding any hills because NO HILLY ROADS HAD BEEN TREATED BY HARRINGEY COUNCIL. A 4X4 behind me could not stop and smashed my back doors in. Managed to get on the A406 which was excellent to drive on. Got back to south London (at 5pm), again the roads were excellent to drive on. So I lost a days work, spent 6 hours driving at 1mph. What lame excuse have Harringey got for not treating roads? Everywhere seemed to manage it.
- cheesy, LONDON, 19/12/2010 11:03
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Matt in Aldershot: plenty of t-----s in this part of London, driving their "money on wheels" 4x4s as it looks like the cold weather has frozen their brains!
Just having a nice glass of Aussie (we'll still keep The Ashes!!) Cabernet Merlot. A Merry Christmas to you, too, - and, of course, to everyone else who's reading these postings!!
- Sue, NW4, London, 18/12/2010 18:32
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If you have a vehicle accident in Germany in the snow and you are not on winter tyres insurance companies will not pay out. Also you have to clear the pavement of snow in front of your house
- kit reed, london I suppose it's still England, 18/12/2010 16:07
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Here in Aldershot we got about 2in (50mm). Looked out the window, dressed in accordance with the conditions, breakfasted on toast, eggs and nuclear hot coffee, strapped on the old Bergen and sauntered off to the shops. Loaded the Bergen with a week’s shopping and walked home. Cleared the drive (three cars wide) with an - ahem - "borrowed" Estate Agent’s sign (who said Estate Agents are no use, eh?) cleared the pavement outside and cleaned off my car, the Memsahib’s wagon and the neighbours van (he is housebound with an Olympian Hangover) and am in doors drinking rum and soda (plenty of ice)...
Down side is I saw plenty of t***s driving whilst on the phone. Oh yes: 4-x-4s may be able to handle the roads (proper "Landies" that is and not the "cars on stilts") but often the drivers cannot, tooling about in the misguided belief that just 'cos the motor can go to the South Pole via the Sahara that they have the innate ability of a Finnish Rally Driver to control it. If I see one more Doris driving hubbie's money in a way not conducive to good road manners I shall ram her, at 10mph with my 8-year old SEAT, on its summer tyres that has not let me down in all this "Day After Tomorrow" dreadfulness.
Just hoping the "Doctor Who Sound effects" key ring arrives in time for Christmas, but all the shop bought LEGO is wrapped and ready to go!
A happy Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!
Cheers!
Matt x
- Matt Cornish, Aldershot, 18/12/2010 14:39
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Please.I do not know what a cm or mm looks like.Tell me in inches,I am old please forgive.
- melvyn, benidorm,spain, 18/12/2010 05:26
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HendonGooner@ sod the snow! More important matters - Barcelona again! Wonder if Cesc will play??
- Sue, NW4, London, 17/12/2010 20:48
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Speaking of bad driving,when did they stop teaching people how to use indicators.
- Bazza, London, 17/12/2010 19:28
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Rodbur London. They printed that just to make us feel better
- Bazza, London, 17/12/2010 19:25
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Rodbur London. They printed that just to make us feel better
- Bazza, London, 17/12/2010 19:24
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Hey (whining) Michael of London (comment above): why do we always do ourselves down and say "We're rubbish while they cope much better on the Continent?" They don't always: Headline in a paper last week: "Paris paralysed by blizzard snow conditions."
- rodbur, london sw14 uk, 17/12/2010 18:52
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Why not make your own Christmas crackers?
Also Christmas tree ornaments — save your spent light bulbs and spray with silver or gold spray and stick little stars on them - silver butter paper is good for the stars.
Round light bulbs can be made into faces - - - and so on. No need for pound shops or anything.
- Michael Corby, London UK, 17/12/2010 18:13
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Quite laughable - there's about a millimetre of snow on the ground .... yet the caption proclaims "blizzards". You couldn't make it up!
- Jock, Glasgow, 17/12/2010 14:47
Er... I think they just have!
- sallyp, London, England, 17/12/2010 17:12
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Oh my God, more embarrassment in front of our European neighbours.
Can't we appear to be making an effort and not flounder and whine so much ?
Horrors too, what about the endless presents bought on line. I went to the shops.
- Michael, London, UK, 17/12/2010 16:34
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Can i just say i think all the comments are wonderful. I'm roaring with laughter at some of the blogs, keep up the good work. Merry christmas to everybody.
- ken Abbott, Slough, UK, 17/12/2010 16:24
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Loooove it ... Christmas has started eh ?? ... Ahhhh finish work tonight .. just hope I can get to Blackburn for the football tomorrow to watch the West Ham get 3 points. Few beers on my walk home .. no car to worry about .. no tube .. no commuting. Peace and Goodwill to all men .. and women .. even Boris .. and Cameron.
- Mike, Westminster, 17/12/2010 16:20
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Why can't Coucillor Shakespear of Buckingham divert some of his Cherry Pickers to London to dig everyone out and clear the snow for the rich people.
- stuart, chesterfield,derbyshire, 17/12/2010 16:02
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Re Sam: "New Yorkers are the worst drivers in the country--you should see what it is like to drive here, especially in Queens, a borough fully loaded with illegal immigrants who drive without licenses. They have no regard at all for the lives of others."
Mate, you wanna come down the Hackney, Harringay, Wembley, Golders Green, Willesden etc...
Some of the folk driving have never seen snow in their lives...and probably only been using a car for a few months....You wanna see how they drive..or not drive..to be more precise...
- HendonGooner, London, 17/12/2010 16:00
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I blame it all on Mrs Thatcher, after she privatised the Met office back in the 1980s...
- Keith Price (resurrected), Luton (lol), 17/12/2010 15:55
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"New Yorkers are the worst drivers in the country--you should see what it is like to drive here, especially in Queens, a borough fully loaded with illegal immigrants who drive without licenses. They have no regard at all for the lives of others."
We have a place like that here, Sam. It's called Streatham.
All the people who got their driving licences "abroad" think the way to drive in snow is to put the foot down.
Would be hillarious if it wasn't so dangerous.
- Stewart, SW19, 17/12/2010 15:52
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Nooo, we're all going to die! Decades of sofa living X-Factor watchin' brain nummin' celeb worshippin' has reduces us all to the hopeless Eloi of Time Machine fame. HG Wells was so so spot on! #endofdays
- Oflife, Oxford, 17/12/2010 15:14
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I went out in Fleet Street at 12.30 in a blizzard and came back 45 minutes later and it was all gone.
- BJ, East London
Fleet Street was gone?
That must have been some blizzard BJ.
- mickinlondon., london, 17/12/2010 15:14
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The reason accidents happen in this weather? Not helped by idiots driving whilst using their mobile phones - texting. Or driving without cleaning their windows and windscreens of snow/ice and the best of all - it's dark around 3.50pm now and idiots driving without turning on their lights!
I bet that 7 car pile up on the N.Circ involved some idiot using his mobile phone whilst driving.
Take it easy people out there and look out for one another.
- HendonGooner, London, 17/12/2010 14:55
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New Yorkers are the worst drivers in the country--you should see what it is like to drive here, especially in Queens, a borough fully loaded with illegal immigrants who drive without licenses. They have no regard at all for the lives of others.
- sam, Manhattan, USA, 17/12/2010 14:52
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Quite laughable - there's about a millimetre of snow on the ground in the photo of Aldwych, yet the caption proclaims "blizzards". You couldn't make it up!
- Jock, Glasgow, 17/12/2010 14:47
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Jock - lets hope the old folks have the upper body strength to pull them and the bangs don't stop a few dicky tickers!
Hope the party goes well.
- Doug, Barnet, 17/12/2010 14:38
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I agree with FRED, LONDON.
Everyone is so quick to blame the snow and council for causing trouble on the roads but it is down to the poor driving. People don't seem to understand that if there is snow and ice on the road you need to reduce speed! i saw two accidents this morning because the drivers were driving too fast!
people need to be less selfish and drive to the conditions not to their hectic life!
i also think the councils should grit the pavements first. all the driving organisations tell us not to drive but when we wallk we break our bones on the poorly kept icerink pavements.!
- JH, UK, 17/12/2010 14:03
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All the grit in the World won't make much difference as long as most vehicles, including trucks and buses, are using summer and not winter tyres. I saw a school bus slipping all over the place on summer tyres today. Amazing the ignorance of UK drivers. (Mayor Included)
- Fred, London, 17/12/2010 13:45
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Boris, can you pass this on to the London Borough of Sutton, please? The road outside my house was like an ice rink for days & will now be like one again. No one I know went to collect their 'free' grit (our CT is amongst the highest in the land) as they were working / it was impossible to get...
- liz, London, 17/12/2010 13:38
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I went out in Fleet Street at 12.30 in a blizzard and came back 45 minutes later and it was all gone.
- BJ, East London, 17/12/2010 13:36
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I just bought 10 boxes of crackers from my local pound store - for a nursing home Christmas party. But hey, it's just all a lot of tat and won't bring a smile to the faces of those pulling them. Might as well get a refund to keep Sarah happy.
- Jock, Glasgow, 17/12/2010 13:35
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Sarah, your ok - don't take any notice of people who have nothing to say except being critical of others. I wish you a Tat Free Xmas.
- Charly, London, 17/12/2010 13:06
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No excuse for not gritting pavements then.
- dave, london, 17/12/2010 13:04
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Sarah I bet you never believed in the man in the red suit,just asked Mummy and Daddy to deposit some cash into you post office book
- Bazza, London, 17/12/2010 12:56
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Mr Johnson said: “Even if it snows 24 hours a day, morning, noon and night for two weeks, which has never happened before, we have enough grit for our roads.
That's great Boris. Now what are you going to distribute it with?
Suddenly, buying a Chelsea tractor and snow chains seems like a really good idea.
- Daddy, Kensington, 17/12/2010 12:28
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Sarah, I think we can now see how the country has got into so much debt with Scony and Christmas Past's comments don't you?
I think you're being the voice of Christmas yet to come, so good for you.
- S-M Hearmon, London, UK, 17/12/2010 12:02
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You shameless hussey,Sarah your enthusiasm for a good xmas shines through very bright,Ive got the ginger wine out all ready.I hope all your cats get over the mumps,And the wagons get over the bumps,and put people up to their eyes in debt,And one last thing,I hope your husband comes out from under the stairs this xmas,And pulls a cracker with you? IM H.A.P.P.Y With tat?
- scony, middlesbrough, 17/12/2010 11:30
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Sarah, glad to see the spirit of Christmas is live and well! Bah, humbug.
- Ghost of Christmas Past, London, 17/12/2010 10:28
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whilst i am sorry for people who have ordered presents on line and may not receive them, one good thing about this awful weather is that people might not be tempted to spend money they don't have on useless tat, because no one can get to the shops easily! possibly post christmas debt might be less this year.
- sarah hussey, london uk, 17/12/2010 10:08
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