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An intense Arctic weather front has led to the closure of hundreds of schools in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, as widespread snow and icy conditions disrupted travel across road, rail, and air networks on Monday. Yellow weather warnings remain active across much of the UK, with forecasts predicting increased snowfall later in the week. The previous night marked the coldest of the winter so far for England and Wales, with temperatures plunging to -10.9C in Shap, Cumbria. As a result, cold weather payments have been activated for hundreds of thousands of residents in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Several areas in northern Scotland, including Aberdeenshire, Shetland, and Orkney, have kept schools shut beyond the Christmas break, and closures are expected to continue through Tuesday. Aberdeen City Council indicated that some schools might reopen if staff are able to reach them nearby. Meanwhile, in Moray, individual schools are deciding on closures independently. In Wales, schools in counties such as Gwynedd, Anglesey, Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Caerphilly, and Pembrokeshire remain closed. More than 170 schools across Northern Ireland have also remained shut due to the weather.
Air travel experienced considerable disruption as snow and ice forced Liverpool John Lennon Airport to shut its runway temporarily. Passenger Emily Ashall, who was scheduled to fly to Berlin early Monday morning, found her flight canceled after initially boarding. She described the airport as “packed to the brim” before the announcement that no flights could arrive or depart. Although the runway reopened by mid-afternoon, authorities warned that flights might continue to face delays or cancellations. Similarly, flights at Belfast International Airport were canceled, and the City of Derry Airport’s runway was closed to facilitate snow and ice clearance.
Rail services faced notable challenges as well. Eurostar trains from London’s King’s Cross St Pancras were unable to reach the Netherlands, with travelers advised to postpone journeys amid severe delays and cancellations. This disruption follows recent Channel Tunnel issues caused by power supply problems. In northern Scotland, heavy snowfall is hampering progress, prompting Network Rail Scotland to warn about deep snow slowing snow plough operations. LNER recommended avoiding travel between Edinburgh and Aberdeen until Tuesday afternoon. Services in Wales are also affected, with train disruptions reported between Wales and Manchester Piccadilly, as well as on routes between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog. Local bus services in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire have been suspended by Stagecoach to ensure safety. Meanwhile, firefighters in Shropshire faced extreme difficulty navigating half a mile of snow in the dark to respond to a chimney fire near Oswestry.
Cold weather payments, designed to assist vulnerable households, are now being distributed automatically in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Eligible recipients receive £25 per seven-day period when average local temperatures are at or below 0C, with payments typically made within two weeks. The Arctic chill is expected to persist across the UK, with the Met Office issuing a renewed yellow weather warning for most of Scotland extending into Tuesday. Snow showers will likely continue, especially in northern Scotland, Northern Ireland, west Wales, southwest England, and parts of eastern England
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