Snow set to blast London as train services scrapped
COMMUTERS were last night braced for travel chaos today as train operators cancelled services ahead of a snow blizzard set to batter the UK.
Up to six inches are expected to fall across London throughout this morning.
The Met Office last night placed much of the South East on an amber warning, the second most critical level ahead of the blizzard.
Train operator South West trains said it will run a revised timetable focusing on key lines to cope with the expected snow disruption.
Southeastern trains also warned snow would also disrupt its services.
A Southeastern spokesman said: “Given the weather forecast, there may be disruption on some routes through the day.
“Our staff will be out working to clear platforms and treat icy surfaces and Network Rail will be running snow and ice clearance trains day and night to help keep the network open.”
Snow is expected to hit London heavily from around 9am this morning and the Met Office last night issued its first red warning in two years for parts of southern Wales.
Met Office chief forecaster Andy Page said: “The snow is expected to be heaviest during [this] morning across Wales and the southern half of England.
“Clearly there is the potential for significant disruption to peoples plans. We should follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities to help keep ourselves, our families and our communities safe in light of the forecast.”
Rick Cudworth, lead partner at professional service firm Deloitte said businesses would be prepared for extreme weather conditions and could cope by allowing people to work from home.
“Some of the lessons learned preparing for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games could be just as useful now,” he said.
As Brits prepared for the heavy snow covering, Duvet and Pillow Warehouse reported they had seen a “massive” spike in sales over the past few days, in anticipation of the snowfall.