Runways at several UK airports were temporarily closed on Sunday due to the treacherous conditions caused by heavy snow and ice. The UK’s Met Office issued snow and ice warnings for a large portion of the country, including most of Northern Ireland, the majority of Scotland, and a significant part of central and northern England. Almost all of Wales was under a yellow rain warning.
Manchester Airport, the UK's third busiest airport according to the Civil Aviation Authority, announced a temporary closure of its runways on Sunday morning due to heavy snow. Airport staff worked diligently to clear the snow, and the runway reopened around 9:45 a.m., according to a social media post.
Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport also experienced a temporary runway closure on Sunday morning due to snow, reopening at 10:15 a.m. Newcastle International Airport reported that “heavy and continuous snowfall” was impacting flight schedules. Birmingham Airport closed for several hours around midnight to allow for snow clearing operations but reopened later on Sunday, thanks to the efforts of dedicated teams working through the night, the airport said on X.
Bristol Airport in west England, which had closed on Saturday due to “challenging weather conditions,” reopened later that evening. However, the airport cautioned that the closure might still cause delays for departing flights on Sunday.
Train travel was also affected by the adverse weather, with disruptions reported on routes in England, Scotland, and Wales, according to the country’s National Rail.
“Safety is our priority, and ice and snow can necessitate speed restrictions and line closures to ensure safe train operations,” National Rail said in a service disruption announcement.
National Highways, the government agency responsible for major roads in England, issued a severe weather alert for snow across the country on Saturday and Sunday.
“We urge road users to exercise extra caution when travelling this weekend,” the agency advised.
In Germany, a combination of snow, black ice, and poor visibility led to the cancellation of numerous flights at Frankfurt airport, the country’s largest. Approximately 120 out of 1,090 scheduled flights were cancelled, according to the Associated Press. Munich airport was operating with only one runway.
Following overnight snowfall, Germany’s meteorological office issued a warning for continued freezing rain on Sunday and recommended avoiding non-essential travel.
