Multiple UK airports temporarily shut down their runways due to substantial snowfall.
Multiple UK airports temporarily shut down their runways due to substantial snowfall.
Large parts of the UK were under snow and ice alerts on Sunday, encompassing predominantly Northern Ireland, Scotland, and a substantial portion of central and northern England, as per the British Met Office's reports. Nearly all of Wales is under a yellow rain warning.
Manchester Airport, the UK's third busiest airport in terms of passenger count, according to the Civil Aviation Authority, announced on Sunday morning that it had momentarily shut down its runways due to heavy snow. The airport staff was actively working to remove the snow from the runway, as mentioned in a post on their social media handle.
Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport also temporarily halted its runway operations on Sunday morning due to snow, while Newcastle International Airport reported that "extensive and unrelenting snowfall" was causing flight schedule disturbances.
Birmingham Airport ceased operations around midnight on Saturday to allow staff to clear the snow, resuming service later on Sunday thanks to relentless teams working throughout the night, as per their statement.
Despite closing its terminals on Saturday due to challenging weather conditions, Bristol Airport in the southwest of England reopened later in the evening. However, they issued a notice that the closure might still impact departing flights on Sunday.
The poor weather has also disrupted train services in England, Scotland, and Wales, as reported by the British National Rail on Sunday morning.
“Ice and snow may necessitate speed restrictions and line closures to guarantee the safety of trains on the railway,” the service disruption announcement read.
National Highways, the English government company responsible for managing major roads, issued a nationwide severe weather warning for snow across England on Saturday and Sunday.
“Road users are urged to exercise caution while traveling over the weekend,” was the advice from National Highways.
Aviation was significantly affected by the severe weather, with Manchester Airport and Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport temporarily closing their runways due to heavy snow. Travelers planning to fly out from Bristol Airport might experience delays as well, given the impact of the weather on their operations.