Snow causing disruptions all over the UK

Last night it began to snow hard. Within 10 minutes we had a couple of centimetres in London and it was only set to get worse overnight and into the next day. Night came and went and upon getting up for work, I was met with close on a foot of snow; the worst it has been for 18 years. Whilst eating my cereal it was announced that my mum’s school was shut, parts of the M25 were closed along with other major roads, the whole of the underground train system was suspended stopped an there was not a single London bus in operation. For me, this was great as it meant a day off from work but it really highlights how things grind to a halt when there is significant snowfall in the UK. Internationally it is also an embarrassment as flights into and out of Gatwick, Heathrow and London City Airport are all disrupted.

If you go to the northern states of America or continental Europe, when snow is predicted there will be a fleet of gritters on the roads preparing the motorways and also snow ploughs clearing the snow as it falls. In the UK, we simply are not prepared for a significant snow event like this. With no transport in London, many businesses and services simply will not run today and possibly tomorrow depending on the snow fall in the next few hours.

Many people coming to London as tourists this week will suffer serious disruptions to their plans, but many Londoners will be enjoying a glimpse of what a real English winter used to be like 20 years ago. Grab your sledge, build a snowman make the most of it while it lasts!!