Bosses let workers leave early and schools tell parents to pick children up by 2pm

Millions of Britons tonight faced chaotic journeys home as freezing weather continued to cause carnage across the country, with railway and Tube lines closed and hundreds of flights cancelled ahead of a week of havoc on the transport network.

It was a day of delays and disruption around the UK, as train services were cancelled and drivers tried to battle gridlocked and icy roads.

In London, the rush hour this evening saw a number of Underground lines still with severe delays due to heavy snow and ice on the tracks, while parts of the Overground were suspended.

It comes ahead of warnings that some places will see another night of temperatures as low as -16C, causing concerns that last night’s ‘biblical’ snow could turn to dangerous ice.

It was a day of delays and disruption around the UK, as train services were cancelled and drivers tried to battle gridlocked and icy roads

The severe weather has caused cancellations and disruption ahead of strike action by rail workers starting tomorrow. Pictured: Gravesend Railway Station in Kent

A Royal Mail van drives through East London on black ice following hours of snow overnight

The heavy snowfall has already started to turn to ice in some places (pictured: East London), creating dangerous conditions for drivers

People walk along a snow and ice-covered road outside Waterloo train station in London

Braemar in Aberdeenshire recorded the UK’s coldest temperature of the year last night at -15.6C. But according to the Met Office that could be beaten tonight, with Grantown-on-Spey in the Highlands forecast to get as cold as -16C. 

Temperatures will again be below freezing across most of the country tonight and snow showers will continue to affect northern Scotland. 

Tomorrow will see a cold and icy start to the day and many places will experience another morning of rush-hour chaos as a yellow weather warnings for ice remain in place in south-east England, Northern Ireland and northern Scotland. 

A number of flights were cancelled from Heathrow and Stansted Airports this afternoon, while several due to leave Gatwick were delayed. A total of 300 flights due to serve UK airports were cancelled across yesterday and today.

The AA said the ‘winter wonderland’ scenes created a ‘nightmare scenario’ on the roads. Drivers on parts of the M25 were trapped in queues for hours and some parents were forced to take time off work to look after their children whose schools were closed. 

Others had to make last minute arrangements when they were forced to pick up their children from schools that closed at 2pm today after teachers issued notices informing parents that classes would be finishing early so that pupils and families could make their way home in the daylight.

And parents across the country are still in limbo over the arrangements for tomorrow, with many schools adopting a ‘wait and see’ policy. 

Some workers were also allowed to clock off early so they could avoid getting caught in icy conditions and ongoing chaos on the rail network. 

The travel mayhem comes ahead of days of strike action which will wipe out most services on Britain’s railways, starting tomorrow.  

A number of schools and businesses closed early so children and staff got home before dark

Buckingham Palace was surrounded by snow as the cold weather continued to hit Britain today

A pedestrian walks along a snow-covered pavement in Brenchley, south east England

An aerial view of London, covered with snow on Monday morning following heavy snowfall overnight

People walk through the snow with Tower Bridge in the background in the early hours of this morning

An aerial view of houses and roads covered with snow in north London on December 12  following heavy overnight snowfall

Last night, roads grounded to a halt as an apparent shortage of gritter drivers meant surfaces were ripe for the snow to lie. 

Commuters were advised to stay at home after snow and ice wreaked havoc across the whole of the southeastern railway network, while the London Underground was also hit by delays. Even as of 7.45pm, there are still delays on seven lines due to heavy snow and ice on the tracks, including severe delays on the Central and Jubilee lines.

Scenes on the M25 and around the country of motorists trapped in their cars also cannot have been missed by managers.

It prompted some to allow their staff to go home early – and schoolchildren were also given an early cut from the learning day.

Woolwich Polytechnic announced: ‘Monday 12th December School will be open for years 7&8 only today, with school closing at 2.20pm.

‘Students in years 9 and 10 should work from home. Work will be set on Teams.’

Longdean School in Hemel Hempstead also tweeted out: ‘We want to ensure all students and staff make it home safely. Take care out there.’

Independent music shop David’s Music in Hertfordshire said: ‘Due to the wondrous snow, we’ll be closing at 3:30pm today, before it gets too dark and icy. Keep safe and warm everyone.’

A frozen lake in Richmond Park in south west London on a day where the capital has been covered in snow

Two dogs enjoy a race in London’s Kennington Park, which has been completely blanketed in snow

Hundreds of drivers spent several hours stuck on the M25 in Hertfordshire overnight as snow and ice caused havoc on the roads.

Traffic ground to a standstill with motorists taking hours to move a few hundred yards as cars skidded and struggled in the heavy snow. 

A video of cars crashing into each other and a bus sliding into bollards in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on social media. 

The driver of a silver Volkswagen is heard tooting their horn as a warning but is unable to bring the car to a halt before it slams into a black Vauxhall.

A white BMW then also crashes into the back of that, causing a further pile up, as the driver of the Volkswagen jumps out from the behind the wheel, despite onlookers urging them not to.

Footage also shows a group of six people trying to help a black people carrier back onto the road, as a cyclist rides precariously nearby.

But their efforts were in vain as the car skids off the street, only just coming to a stop before hitting a fence.

Another car is then seen sliding into some bollards, before a bus does the same, though the damage only appeared to be minor.

A pile up is caused when a BMW crashes into a Volkswagen, which had earlier slammed into a Vauxhall

Footage also shows a group of six people trying to help a black people carrier back onto the road, as a cyclist rides precariously nearby

But their efforts were in vain as the car skids off the street, only just coming to a stop before hitting a fence

Another car is then seen sliding into some bollards, before a bus does the same, though the damage only appeared to be minor

But while millions continued to experience travel chaos today, others tried to make the most of the first snow of the winter.

At West Ham tube station, commuters were filmed making snowballs and throwing them at their fellow travellers on the other side of the platform.

Families went sledding and swimmers braved freezing dips in the water as they took full advantage of the rare conditions. 

The Met Office has warned of more travel chaos to come as heavy snowfall turns into icy conditions and freezing fog descends, sparking severe disruption on roads, railways and runways.

A yellow weather warning for ice remains in place for south-east England until 11am tomorrow, while a warning for ice and fog is in place in Northern Ireland until 10am.

Meanwhile Scotland’s yellow warning for snow and ice is set to remain in place until midday on Thursday, with warnings from the Met Office that this could see continued disruption to travel and injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.

Tuesday is expected to be another cold and frosty day with a threat of showers developing, mostly across Scotland, bringing sleet and snow. Snow is expected across northern Scotland during the evening.

A man takes to the air after hitting a ramp while sledging in Alexandra Palace Park on December 12

Leo, eight, slides down a hill in the snow as the cold weather continue in Hertford today

Two friends enjoy a laugh together in the snow in Hertford as temperatures continue to fall across Britain 

A swimmer braves a dip in Serpentine lake, surrounded by white snow, as the cold weather continues in London

People walk through the snow in London’s Greenwich Park this morning, with cold wintry conditions set to continue for days 

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A person skis in the snow at Greenwich Park, London as snow and ice have swept across parts of the UK, with cold wintry conditions set to continue for days