Are flights cancelled due to snow? Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol airport flight delays - travel advice

Heavy snow has brought treacherous conditions to the UK, with drivers left stranded for hours and people urged to only travel if absolutely necessary.

Storm Larisa battered parts of the UK with gales and blizzards overnight, and the Met Office still has a number of warnings in place for snow and ice, including an amber warning covering northern England and the Midlands until midday.

Four yellow warnings for snow also cover much of the rest of the nation, with the exception of south-east England and western Scotland.

But with snow and wintery conditions expected to impact much of the country, how have flights been affected? Here is everything you need to know.

Which flights have been affected by today’s snow?

The majority of flights departing Liverpool John Lennon Airport were delayed on Friday morning due to severe weather. The airport said: “Heavy snow falls this morning have impacted on flights in and out of the airport.

“Our teams are continuing to clear the snow so we can be fully operational again soon but please check the status of flights with your airline if travelling today.”

Gatwick airport has also been affected by the freezing conditions. NationalWorld’s sister site SussexWorld has all the latest information.

Travellers at Manchester Airport have been asked to arrive at the airport at the earliest time recommended by their airline to help ensure they catch their flights.

There has also been some disruption to flights from Leeds Bradford Airport, with flights from the airport facing hours of delays due to the heavy snow.

East Midlands Airport has reopened after being closed for around three hours on Friday morning. Flights were suspended at Birmingham Airport for around an hour to clear snow from the runway. There were also delays to flights at Bristol Airport.

If you are due to be travelling to or from a UK airport today, you are advised to check with your airline or tour operator for the status of your flights.

Getting to the airport

Your journey by road may also be affected by snow, and passengers are advised to check travel advice and National Highways for access to airports and their surrounding roads.

Heavy snowfall left drivers stranded for more than seven hours on the M62 motorway in Greater Manchester and Yorkshire. National Highways North-West estimated at one point congestion on the eastbound carriageway between Rochdale and Saddleworth stretched to around eight miles.

Derbyshire Constabulary urged drivers not to travel in the Peak District on Friday morning “unless absolutely necessary” as most roads in the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales areas were “impassable”.

Parts of the A66 in Durham and the A628 Woodhead Pass in South Yorkshire were closed overnight due to the heavy snow. The Police Service of Northern Ireland also warned people to only travel if their journey is essential.

Public transport has also been affected, with Network Rail saying multiple fallen trees have blocked lines between Manchester and Sheffield, meaning no trains can run. Train operators TransPennine Express and Northern are also among those impacted with many services cancelled.

Merseyrail, which runs train services in Merseyside and the surrounding areas, said its operations would not start until around 10am on Friday due to severe weather.

What’s the weather forecast?

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said that a pocket of western Scotland covering Glasgow and the county of Argyll may be the only region untouched by heavy rain and snow.

He said the worst of the weather was expected in north-west Wales and northern England, adding: “The combination of heavy snow and gales is why we’re likely to see blizzards and drifting snow which causes extra hazards on the roads.

“In places covered by amber warnings, there will be very difficult, treacherous conditions,” he added. “Ideally, avoid travelling in those periods – but if you have to head out then be aware that journeys could take significantly longer.”

People in the south of England are likely to experience the worst of the rain. The weather is expected to clear by the end of Friday, before then being replaced by another low pressure system, leading to a further yellow snow and ice warning for much of northern England and Scotland from 3pm on Saturday to 6am on Sunday.