Snow on the way: 5 inches in the north and a dusting in London

The heaviest snowfall of the winter so far will bring travel chaos, with up to five inches falling in the north and even a light dusting in London.

A gritting lorry on duty in the snowy Scottish Borders Sunday afternoon

Snow will move down the middle of the country from Scotland overnight reaching London by the early morning.

Up to five inches (15cm) will fall on high ground in the north east of England. The snow is expected to last throughout the day with up to 2 inches (5cm) in most places, turning to sleet further south as the afternoon progresses.

Another front coming in from the east will bring flurries across Kent and East Sussex, causing more problems for commuter traffic.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, was frustrated that Heathrow was not better prepared for snow amid warnings for passengers to regularly check the website to ensure flights are on time.

“Every time there is a slight problem, Heathrow cannot cope," he said.
Flood warnings remained in place in the South East, including on the Thames where high spring tides are already causing problems around Richmond.

The Met Office have issued a severe weather warning for the whole of the UK throughtout Monday.

Temperatures will remain below average, barely reaching 5C and freezing at night.

On Tuesday and Wednesday the worst of the weather will be in the east of the country with further flurries of snow expected. Temperatures could fall to -9C in remote rural areas.

The cold front is expected to last to the end of the week, with sunny periods. But a 'battle' is waging with warmer fronts to the south that could bring warmer, wetter air.

The RAC is expecting up to 56,000 breakdowns and widespread disruption.

Online retailer Amazon said sales of sledges had surged by 600 per cent, and customers were also investing in snow shovels.