100 flights cancelled as 'worst snowfall in 12 years' forces Stansted Airport runway to close

More than 100 flights were cancelled at Stansted Airport and the runway closed for around six and a half hours as crews battled snow, freezing fog and iced-up planes.

The Essex base said it was the "heaviest snowfall in a short period of time" it had seen for 12 years - with 9cm falling in around three hours.

The problems began on Sunday as freezing fog hit the airport, although it continued to welcome diverted planes from other London airports until 8pm.

Ground crew worked hard to de-ice the aircraft to keep things moving but at 8.20pm, bosses were forced to close the runway until 3am so snow could be cleared.

In total, 47 departures and 59 arrivals were cancelled on Sunday - the majority coming at the end of the day. A further 29 had been cancelled on Monday.

A spokesman said: "The airport is open and the runway full operational [on Monday], but there are knock-on effects to flights because of [Sunday's] impacts and cancellations.

"Crew and aircraft will be out of position so airlines may not be able to operate the planned schedule."

Luton Airport also warned of "weather-related delays and cancellations" and urged passengers to check with their airlines.

Elsewhere, the M25 and M11 were closed overnight and into the rush hour, causing miles of tailbacks.

Hundreds of schools - including more than 130 in Essex alone - decided to close because of a mixture of freezing temperatures, and snow and ice making roads and pathways treacherous.

At Passmores Academy in Harlow, principal Vic Goddard said he was determined to keep the school open despite the snowy weather.

The start of lessons was delayed until 10am to give students more time to make their journey but Mr Goddard said the doors would remain open to "those who can get there safely".

Rail passengers have also been severely affected. Greater Anglia and C2C warned of cancellations across their networks as well as significant delays.

Great Northern urged customers to only travel if necessary due to widespread disruption caused by the weather.

Overnight, Essex Police took more than 500 999 calls as the county experienced heavy snowfall.

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