Travel chaos fears as month-long freeze predicted

Forecasters have said freezing temperatures may last a month, leading to potential chaos for commuters and travellers.

Large swathes of the UK were hit by snow and ice over the weekend, leading to disruption across the road and rail networks, and at airports. Up to 16cm (six inches) of snow fell in some areas.

Although many major roads are now clear, the cold weather is still causing problems. About 40 flights have been cancelled at Heathrow as a result of yesterday's disruptions and schools across a number of counties including Derbyshire, North Yorkshire and Buckinghamshire have remained closed.

Motorists have been warned to take particular care when driving on rural roads as compacted snow could see conditions remain treacherous for the rest of the week. According to a report by the Daily Telegraph, police closed a 25-mile stretch of the A1 in North Yorkshire this morning following a number of crashes. By mid-morning the AA said it had responded to more than 70 call outs to help drivers stuck in the snow.

The Met Office has said the rest of the week is expected to be cold for most parts of the country.

Forecaster Steven Keates said: "Most of England and Wales will be staying relatively settled but cold. The biggest risk is hard overnight frost and freezing fog.

"It looks as if this cold snap will last two or three weeks and this weather system looks as though it will erode from the west in the second half of February."