UK weather live travel updates: Six hour delays on Eurotunnel as freezing conditions cause chaos on roads and rail

Hazardous roads and damaged railway power supplies cause havoc for travellers

UK becomes a winter wonderland as snow falls

Drivers and passengers using Britain's roads and railways are being warned to expect disruption as freezing conditions continue to cause havoc across the country.

Delays and cancellations to travel services were reported across the UK after the coldest night of the year.

Clear skies overnight saw temperatures plummet below the -12.4C recorded on Saturday night, with -13C recorded in Shropshire.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning, covering large parts of the country, including much of the Midlands, Scotland and Wales.

The AA said drivers should expect hazardous conditions on the roads while travellers attempting to reach France using the Eurotunnel were warned about delays of up to six hours.

At Heathrow, where dozens of flights were affected on Monday, 16 departures were listed as cancelled for Tuesday with the airport advising passengers to check the status of their flight before travelling to the airport.

Cancellations are also reported at Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh airports.

Airlines had previously said the re-positioning of aircraft and crews from previous days was adding to the problems.

Dozens of schools in the South West, West Midlands and Wales have kept their gates closed for a second day following the bitterly cold conditions.

Additional reporting by agencies

Key Points

• 8.21am: Another freezing night brings threat of delays and cancellations
• 9.04am: Scores of schools set to be closed for second day in a row
• 10.58am: Passengers due to fly to or from Heathrow given option of a full refund or re-booking
• 11.12am: AA warns freezing temperatures will cause 'even more hazardous conditions on already wet and slippery roads'
• 11.54am: Freezing conditions have damaged Eurotunnel's power supply, leading to six-hour delays
• 1.17pm: Met Office issues yellow weather warning for ice, in effect until 11am on Wednesday

[12 December 2017 08:10 · Samuel Osborne]

Good morning, welcome to The Independent's live blog on the lingering threat of delays and cancellations across the UK. 

We'll be bringing you the latest updates throughout the day. 

[12 December 2017 08:13 · Samuel Osborne]

Last night was officially the coldest night of the year. 

[12 December 2017 08:21 · Samuel Osborne]

Here's a look at how travel services are still affected: 

At Heathrow, 16 departures are listed as cancelled, with the airport advising passengers to check the status of their flight before travelling to the airport.

Cancellations are also reported at Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh airports.

[12 December 2017 08:22 · Samuel Osborne]

National Rail is not reporting any major disruption to train journeys owing to the weather - but added services running to and from London Waterloo could be disrupted until 10am following a line-side fire.

[12 December 2017 08:45 · Samuel Osborne]

Hundreds of schools were closed yesterday as motorists were warned of havoc on the roads. 

[12 December 2017 09:04 · Samuel Osborne]

Scores of schools are set to be closed for a second day as the cold weather continues to cause disruption.

All council-run schools in Birmingham were shut on Monday following the hazardous conditions, but the blanket closure is not in force for Tuesday.

Nearly 80 schools are listed as closed in Staffordshire, with many citing untreated paths and fears that snow will have compacted into ice as reasons for keeping the gates closed.

Gloucestershire, which saw around 200 schools closed on Monday, will have 80 schools closed on Tuesday, while more than 90 will be closed in neighbouring Herefordshire.

Pupils at 123 primary schools and 25 secondary schools in Shropshire will have a second day off owing to the weather, while in Wales hundreds of schools will be shut on Tuesday, with Caerphilly and Powys particularly affected.

[12 December 2017 09:16 · Samuel Osborne]

[12 December 2017 09:35 · Samuel Osborne]

Simon Calder, our travel correspondent, reported on the chaos at Heathrow Airport after hundreds of British Airways flights were cancelled. 

[12 December 2017 10:01 · Samuel Osborne]

Here's the latest from the Met Office: 

[12 December 2017 10:22 · Samuel Osborne]