UK weather: Flights delayed and cancelled due to cold snap

Passengers face delays and cancellations at airports on Monday after snow, ice and freezing fog swept the UK.

Gatwick and Stansted airports closed their runways on Sunday due to the bad weather.

Flights have since resumed but many have been cancelled or pushed back.

A yellow weather warning is in place for Scotland, Northern Ireland, much of England and parts of Wales, with disruption set to continue.

Trains have also been delayed and drivers warned to take care after several motorway accidents.

Those travelling to UK airports have been urged to check their travel plans and flight status with their airline before setting off.

A total of 316 flights were cancelled across Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted, Glasgow, Belfast International and Bristol airports over the weekend, roughly 11% of all scheduled flights, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

About 37 flights were cancelled from Gatwick before lunchtime on Monday, with EasyJet the worst affected airline.

More than 40 flights had also been cancelled at Stansted.

London City Airport said it was "experiencing some disruption this morning" due to aircraft being out of position after the "significant amount of cancellations" on Sunday night.

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Edmund O'Leary told the BBC he was stranded in Malta after his return flight to Gatwick with British Airways was cancelled twice.

He said that he hoped to have an idea by Monday evening when he would be able to return to the UK.

Although he felt communication had been poor, he said the British Airways staff on the ground were very helpful in terms of sorting out accommodation on Sunday night for passengers.

About 50 flights were cancelled at Heathrow on Monday, after freezing fog resulted in air traffic control restrictions on the number of aircraft that could land and depart per hour over the weekend.

"We encourage passengers to check their flight status with their airline for the latest information," a spokeswoman said.

British Airways, Heathrow's biggest airline, said it had apologised to customers and was refunding or rebooking anyone whose flight had been cancelled and providing refreshment and hotel vouchers where needed.

Gatwick Airport temporarily closed one of its runways at 17:55 GMT on Sunday due to snow and reopened it at 20:00 when conditions were safer.

On Monday, it said there were still delays and cancellations affecting the airport and urged passengers to contact their airlines directly.

A spokesperson for London Luton Airport warned that there could be disruption to flights and also advised passengers to allow extra time when travelling to the airport.

Some passengers complained on Sunday about a lack of information from airlines on the cancellations.

Others said they had been unable to get off planes due to the icy conditions.

Heavy snowfall caused a series of traffic collisions on Sunday, as many drivers were faced with treacherous conditions.

Motorists were urged to adjust their driving to the freezing conditions on Monday morning.

The RAC's spokesman said that by 17:00, 9,000 people had called in asking for help, having broken down.

They added that drivers should only set off if they feel confident enough to do so, and that sticking to main roads which are more likely to be gritted would help.

They also told drivers to pack a blanket and fully-charged phone in case of a breakdown.

Sam told BBC 5 Live that she and her family had been stuck in their car for more than eight hours without food and only one small bottle of water during an arduous journey home from London to Thame in Oxfordshire.

The family left the O2 Centre in London at 23:00 on Sunday night after attending the Jingle Bell Ball and had not left their car since, travelling along the M11 and M25.

National Highways has said that the section of the M25 that was closed in both directions between junctions 23 and 25 has now reopened.

However, there are still about 11 miles of congestion in the anti-clockwise direction, it added.

Other roads in the area with long delays include the M11, M2, A21, A27 and A249, according to the agency.

Train lines across the country have also been affected by the weather.

Southeastern Railways has lifted its advice not to travel on the railway today. But customers are advised to check their routes before they set off.

Meanwhile, Avanti West Coast said it was seeing some last-minute cancellations because of the weather and staff sickness.

There will also be no trains between Wrexham Central and Bidston until the end of the day.

The Met Office has also issued a fresh weather warning for ice for the East Midlands, the east of England, London and south-east England.

"Lying snow and icy patches will lead to difficult travel conditions during Monday and into Tuesday," it says.