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UK weather: Power restored to homes after snow

BBC Passengers at Stansted AirportBBC
In a statement, Stansted Airport said things were "back to normal" following Wednesday's delays and flight cancellations.

Power has been restored to thousands of homes after a day of heavy snow caused disruption in some parts of the UK.

Western Power Distribution and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said they had reconnected more than 40,000 properties since Tuesday.

Meanwhile, stranded passengers at Stansted Airport have finally been rebooked after the runway was closed twice on Wednesday.

A yellow weather warning for ice remains in place for most of the UK.

Sub-zero temperatures are expected to cause disruption across large parts of the UK until the end of the week.

The Met Office warned that injuries from falls on icy surfaces were possible, while the RAC said black ice was "likely to make roads treacherous".

In Manchester, the Mancunian Way, a two-mile stretch of elevated motorway, was closed in both directions on Thursday morning, following a crash involving four vehicles.

There were no reports of any serious injuries in the incident.

However, with the weather set to worsen in the region, Greater Manchester Police advised people not to travel "unless absolutely necessary".

PA A postman pushing his trolley through snow in Broadway, WorcestershirePA
The Met Office warned that conditions will be icy on Thursday morning

Airports advised those expecting to travel to check the status of their flight before leaving home.

Flights were expected "to operate as scheduled" at Stansted Airport on Thursday, after "adverse weather conditions" forced dozens of flights to be cancelled or delayed on Wednesday.

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A Stansted spokesman said 27 inbound and 27 outbound Ryanair flights were cancelled on Wednesday.

EasyJet confirmed that it had cancelled eight flights and diverted another three.

Ryanair said it regretted being forced to cancel a "small number of flights" due to "snow-related runway closures".

"All affected customers were contacted by email and SMS text message and advised of their rebooking options," it said, in a statement.

Passengers, many of whom were obliged to sleep in temporary beds at the Essex airport overnight, vented their frustration on social media.

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Luton Airport said it was open and the runway "operational", but flights "may be subject to delay" because of freezing temperatures.

Further warnings have been issued by the Met Office for Friday. An amber warning is in place, with heavy snowfall expected overnight across parts of northern England.

Up to 15cm of snow is predicted in some rural areas, amid reports it may be the coldest night of the year.

Elsewhere, icy patches are expected to develop on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths, as well as where rain has washed away previous salt treatment.

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