Cold snap causes flight cancellations while a motorway accident kills one driver and causes severe disruption
Wednesday October 29 2008
The cold snap arrives, bringing the first October snowfall in London since 1934 Link to this video Parts of south-east England had more than an inch of snow last night while London experienced its first October snowfall in more than 70 years as winter conditions arrived early.
Snow settled on the ground in parts of the capital last night as temperatures dipped below zero. A Met Office spokeswoman said it was London's first October snow since 1934.
For greater south-east of England it was the first October snow since 1974. High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire had 3cm (1.2 inches). One of the coldest temperatures recorded was -4.1C in Benson, Oxfordshire.
"It is unusual to have snow this early," the Met spokeswoman said. "In October 2003 sleet and snow was recorded in Northern Ireland, Wales, south-west, north-west and north-east England and the Midlands, but it was mainly over higher ground."
Football matches were postponed or abandoned at Luton, Northampton, Walsall and Wycombe.
A spokeswoman for Luton airport, where snow began falling at about 6.30pm, said 12 outbound flights were cancelled last night and 16 arrivals diverted to other airports because of the weather.
On the M40 motorway near High Wycombe, a driver was killed early this morning when two lorries collided. The motorway was closed in both directions after one of the vehicles shed its load of lard across all six lanes of both carriageways between junctions five and six. Police said the section was likely to remain shut until this afternoon and drivers are being warned to avoid the area today.
A Thames Valley police spokeswoman said it was not yet known if the "very bad" weather played a part in the crash.
The freezing spell looks likely to be brief. Much of south-east of England will have a dry day today with overnight temperatures not expected to drop below about 3C.
