UK weather: Mutiny on trains as passengers let themselves out on to tracks as Storm Emma brings blizzards, floods and freezing rain

• Snow to give way to floods as Storm Emma hits UK

• Warnings over freezing rain

• Motorists stranded, rail passengers describe hellish night

• Panic buying leads to empty supermarket shelves

• National Grid warns UK will not have enough gas to meet demand

• Weather could fuel rise in heart attacks, study suggests

The wild weather affecting Britain will continue into the weekend as Storm Emma continues to bring heavy rain, snow and high seas in the wake of serious disruption caused by the so-called "beast from the East" weather front.

In south-east London commuters took matters into their own hands, pressing the emergency door release and getting out onto the tracks when their train was held outside the station. As a result, all lines through Lewisham station were blocked. 

Southeastern Railway said the situation was getting worse "because several people are jumping off trains onto the tracks", warning that it would only cause further delays. 

Power was switched off on trains because of the incident and the police and fire service were brought in to help get people off trains. 

A number of cars were caught up in a pile-up in Devon, with five to 10 vehicles involved in a collision on the A38 westbound between the A380 and the B3344. Around 30 vehicles behind became stuck in a lane due to the weather conditions, but they have since been able to move on.

Elsewhere in the county police have told villagers at the coast to board up their homes and evacuate if they can as Storm Emma hits.

Freezing rain could pose the next deadly threat of the storm, the Met Office has warned, because it is creating invisible sheet ice that is impervious to gritting. 

Although in some parts of the country it may look like the snowfall is over, it is highly likely any rainfall will be freezing rain and will result in dangerous road conditions. 

This comes as snow continues to affect a large part of the country, after hundreds of people were trapped on freezing trains overnight as railways froze. Some resorted to sleeping on luggage racks, and many complained they were not given water for hours.

Southeastern, which operates in Kent, East Sussex and London, suspended all services for a time as the weather hindered trains connecting with the conductor rail, while South West Trains planned to terminate services early on Friday night. 

People were also stuck in their cars overnight due to the 'apocalyptic' snow which hit the motorways and railways across the country.

The military was drafted in to rescue people from their vehicles, and some were only able to leave their cars this morning. 

The Met Office has warned of treacherous conditions caused by freezing rain which creates invisible sheet ice. This weather is hitting all parts of the UK and can cause deadly conditions on the road.

Some of the communities which were worst-hit by the snow are due to be battered by floods, as strong waves are already breaking coastal defences and sea walls. Gale force 9 winds and 20-foot high waves have been predicted by the Environment Agency. 

A deadly combination of  the so-called Beast from the East and Storm Emma has caused blizzards and drifting snow in some parts of the country. 

Parts of England and the whole of Scotland, Ireland and Wales, have been advised not to travel unless it is absolutely urgent because of risks to life caused by the weather.

The Met Office has announced that the UK has officially broken its record for the lowest maximum temperature for March in a 24 hour period. Tredegar in Wales didn't get above -4.7 °C all day.

This beats the previous record, set in 2001 when Cassley in Sunderland was -4.6 degrees celcius all day. 

In Hampshire, police declared a "major incident" on Thursday night as motorists were stranded for several hours on the A31. By Friday morning the force said some traffic was moving again but officers were still trying to clear trapped cars and recover abandoned vehicles. 

In Greater Manchester, dozens of volunteers battled through snow to take supplies to people stranded on the M62 motorway for more than 10 hours. Police said wind speeds over the Rakewood Viaduct in Greater Manchester had reached 90mph.

In the south-west of England, which was issued a rare red weather warning, police said they carried out a "rescue operation" to help people stuck in their vehicles across Somerset, including about 100 vehicles trapped in snow on the A303 at Ilminster.

Yellow warnings for snow were also in place for vast swathes of the country for the whole day, while a yellow warning for wind covers the North East of England and Wales until midday.

Temperatures were once again be below freezing for many parts of the UK during the day, with strong winds making it feel even chillier.

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Thousands of homes were without electricity in the north west of England as temperatures remain sub-zero with bitter gales blowing.

Power company Electricity North West said power outages had affected parts of Stockport, Oldham, Preston, Blackburn, Bolton, Manchester, Carlisle and other parts of Cumbria and parts of Derbyshire, where 5,000 households are without power in Buxton alone.

The firm said that because of the high winds and heavy snow some of their work teams have had to stop repairs until it is safe to continue.

Devon villagers asked to evacuate

Some areas of Devon and Cornwall were cut off due by snow and ice on roads, with the two counties now facing storm winds and flooding.

Police have asked villagers in coastal Devon to voluntarily evacuate if they are able, despite the warnings about road conditions issued still staying in place.

Kingsbridge said on Friday morning: "Following the heavy snow yesterday evening and the strong winds we would still advise that you do not travel unless absolutely necessary. Minor roads are impassable, some A-roads are impassable, and some of the snow has turned to ice. More snow is apparently forecast today. Please keep an eye on travel updates and listen to local radio for traffic and weather updates. #BeastFromTheEast #StormEmma".

The force described the conditions as "horrendous".

High tides and strong waves decimated parts of the coast, causing structures to fall into the sea, severely damaging roads and cutting off some villages.

Winds from Storm Emma thrust rocks in the air, and officials warned locals to stay away from the coast because of the life-threatening conditions.

Elderly residents of Beesands, a small coastal village in Devon, were evacuated from their homes by Coastguard, Fire and Police, and emergency services warned that further evacuations may need to take place.

They advised: "If you are willing and able to voluntarily leave then please do so. Please let us know that you are evacuating by calling 101 and updating Log 370".

Kingsbridge police told The Telegraph the coastguard was on hand to help anyone to evacuate. 

Floods due to hit the UK as Storm Emma meets Beast from The East

Coastal communities which have dealt with snow this week are due to be hit by floods as Storm Emma ravages Britain's coastline this weekend.

The Environment Agency has released 30 flood alerts, and eight flood warnings, with the worst-hit areas due to be the North East and Southwest.

Flooding to properties caused by Severe Gale force 9, easterly winds, and offshore wave heights of up to 6m are expected to hit the Southwest. Thawing snow could only add to the problem.

In Plymouth, huge waves whipped up by the storm have already damaged a sea wall, causing trains to be cancelled due to flooding and debris on the tracks.

No services are currently leaving west of Exeter due to more storm damage to the main railway line at Dawlish in Devon. The vulnerable line has been battered by high seas and fierce gales for the last couple of days. All trains heading from the west north out of Plymouth have also been suspended until further notice because of the damage caused.

One resident whose house overlooks the track in Dawlish said the waves that breached the sea wall and flooding were the "worst since 2014."

Iain McDonald's house overlooks the track in Dawlish and he says his house has been "shuddering".

He said: "A section of the platform is missing, I don't know where it's gone. You can't see the track - it's under water.

"I don't think we've had waves like this since 2014 and my house has been shuddering as the waves hit the sea wall.

"We're quite away above the track and waves have been hitting our first floor window."

Train passenger presses emergency button and gets out onto tracks

Trains in south-east London were held up after a passenger decided to press the emergency button and get out onto the tracks when their train was held outside a station.

It resulted in several people following suit and jumping onto the tracks.

Southeastern Railway said on Twitter "All routes through Lewisham are now at a stand after a passenger held on a train outside the station, operated the emergency door release and went onto the track. As a precaution, all lines through the station are currently blocked and no trains able to run. Please be patient."

The railway operator warned passengers not to try the same thing, saying "it'll make it far worse for EVERYONE and you won't get home any quicker". The incident caused a power switch-off on the trains. 

Multiple cars in pile-up on A38 in Devon

A collision involving between five and 10 vehicles took place at 3.45pm on the A38 westbound between the A380 and the B3344.

Around 30 vehicles behind became stuck in a lane due to the weather conditions, but they have since been able to move on.

The stretch of the road was closed while debris is cleared.

Drivers stuck on M62 given donations of food, drinks and blankets

On the M62, Eleanor Kelly, 19, said residents in Milnrow, Rochdale, had been taking hot drinks, food and blankets to those stuck on the carriageway - including to a father with a baby and toddler in the car.

"We came to a halt at about 5.30pm last night and have been here since," Dave Webb, 37, from Wakefield, said at about 3.30am.

"We brought water, snacks and blankets for myself and my wife and have plenty of petrol, but we just want to be home now."

Many regions in the UK have been warned not to make journeys unless completely necessary because of the treacherous conditions.

Wales Police have asked people across the country to consider whether their journey is completely necessary and to avoid travelling if at all possible.

Despite the lockdown alert being lifted in Ireland, the country's Transport Minister Shane Ross pleaded with people to only make "the most necessary of journeys".

"Please do not use the roads today unless you absolutely have to," he said.

"During the night some motorists became trapped in their cars and we would hope that people today will use common sense and not risk their own safety and that of our emergency services.

"If your journey is vital please ensure that you pack safety supplies into your car.

"However, I appeal to anyone who is thinking of making a journey to stop, ask themselves if they really need to get into that car, and if possible, decide against it. Remember, it's not just your own life you're risking."

Devon and Somerset Fire Service warned that the sheet ice they are experiencing is more dangerous for drivers than snow, tweeting: "Please be aware that sheet ice is forecast for #Friday morning. This presents an extreme risk as you cannot see it, & gritting has no effect. Only travel if absolutely & urgently essential. #FreezingRain is more dangerous than the snow! #weatheraware#StormEmma"

Military drafted in to help more hospitals

After the Army was on Thursday forced to step in to Britain's snow relief efforts, the military was on Friday drafted in to help hospitals and medics in the Midlands and West Country.

Devon and Cornwall NHS and Shropshire NHS have both asked for assistance, which began at 6am on Friday.

The Army has sent 10 4x4 vehicles and 20 troops to Shropshire while the Royal Marines have deployed the same resources in Devon and Cornwall.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "The MoD helps in cases of extreme weather when we receive a request from our civilian authority colleagues.

"There are three UK standby battalions held at high readiness to respond to UK contingencies and emergencies, including support to local authorities.

"We have the right people with the right training to respond to a range of contingencies."

The main hospital in Exeter has postphoned all planned surgery and diagnostic appointments, due to the severe weather, and declared an "internal critical incident."

The Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust said: “Due to the severe conditions, the trust has declared an internal critical incident which means we are prioritising all available staff and resources to urgent and emergency services only today at our main Wonford site and in community teams.

“As a result we have postponed all outpatient and planned routine surgery and diagnostic appointments today and we will contact all patients affected to reschedule as soon as possible. All emergency services including our emergency department are running as normal at this time.

“We would ask the public to continue their support for our staff by not visiting friends or relatives in the hospital today unless absolutely essential.”

UK brought to standstill: Latest travel updates

Commuters are facing another day of disruption as the weather continues to cripple the UK's travel networks.

Several roads remain impassable and have been closed, and drivers have been warned not to travel unless absolutely essential. Train services and flights have also been affected.

Here are some of the latest reported issues:

Roads

The Emergency Planning Officer for Highways England has said he is "disappointed" that drivers chose to make journeys after being asked not to.

Frank Bird told Sky News he is "slightly disappointed people chose to continue to venture out in their cars knowing that we were telling them road conditions were going to be quite challenging through the night time hours."

He also said 14 cars and 7 lorries remain abandoned on the A303 hill, including a jack-knifed lorry, and that gritters can’t get through.

During the afternoon, Kent Police's roads policing unit said it had received over 100 calls to  crashes in the space of 30 minutes, as icy conditions created difficulties for  drivers. 

The A303 in Devon has been closed between the A30 and the A358, with Avon and Somerset Constabulary declaring a "major incident" due to stranded vehicles.

The A38 in Devon was also shut, between the A379 and A380. Highways England said a large number of vehicles were struggling to pass through due to "extremely hazardous road conditions".

Two separate collisions closed the M2 eastbound in Kent, between junctions 3 and 4, while the A46 in Gloucestershire was shut between the A4 and M4 due to severe weather conditions and "a number" of stranded vehicles.

In Warwickshire, a lorry crash closed the M40 southbound between junctions 14 and 12.

High winds were particularly affecting the North West on Friday morning, and the M62 remained closed between junctions 24 and 21, while surrounding roads such as the A62, A618 and A66 were also shut.

In the North East, the A1 was closed between the A192 and the Scottish border, while the A19 in County Durham was shut near Hartlepool due to "several" incidents, Highways England said.

In Scotland, the A68 was shut southbound after Jedburgh, and the A9000 Forth Road Bridge was closed in both directions.

Trains

Train services were cancelled and delayed across nearly all operators on Friday, with many urging passengers no to attempt to make journeys.

Rail operator Southeastern urged passengers not to travel anywhere on its network until further notice.

A spokesman said: "We are currently experiencing severe difficulties with the train service across our entire network as a result of freezing rain and ice forming on conductor rails, which our trains use to pick up power.

"We are currently advising passengers not to travel. This applies to all Southeastern routes - metro, mainline and high speed.

"We are working to bring services back into operation as soon as possible. We will provide further updates as soon as possible."

All cross-border trains between England and Scotland remain suspended. The West Coast Main Line is closed between Carlisle and Scotland, with no trains or replacement buses.

Virgin Trains East Coast is pleaded with passengers "not to travel" on the entire East Coast Main Line between London and Scotland. No trains will run between Newcastle and Edinburgh on Friday.

ScotRail said train lines will need to be tested on Friday morning to check if they are safe, which means there will not be any services in the worst affected areas during the morning peak.

Southeastern will continue to run a modified timetable on Friday as heavy snowfall is expected in the South East during the afternoon and overnight into Saturday.

Virgin Trains East Coast has cancelled its services to and from Edinburgh, leaving some people stranded in Scotland and unable to get home.

The rail company said it would reimburse those affected by reimbursing them for any hotel stays required during the cold weather, and that it will not be able to tell customers whether they will be able to travel tomorrow until this evening at the very earliest.

Many rail companies have warned commuters in Scotland not to travel unless absolutely necessary. 

A South Western Railway spokesman apologised after passengers were stuck on trains for up to 15 hours: "We sincerely apologise to passengers who were stranded on trains overnight. They have all been taken to Bournemouth station where South Western Railway staff are providing hot food and drinks.

"Hotel accommodation will be provided for those unable to travel onwards from Bournemouth.

"Our staff, together with Network Rail have battled tirelessly throughout the night to try to get trains moving in very challenging conditions, and will continue to do so throughout the day.

"We are advising passengers not to attempt to travel today, but for those who have already started their journey, we recommend they return as soon as possible.

"Due to the continued extreme weather conditions, we will be closing the train service early today. Please check our website for the most up to date information."

The services left London Waterloo one after the other from 6pm last night bound for Weymouth, Dorset, until the first ground to a halt near New Milton, Hants, at about 8pm.

The passengers on the three trains were forced to sit in the darkness in sub-zero temperatures with no food, water, heating and poor toilet facilities.

Shivering passengers even resorted to sleeping under coats on the overhead luggage shelves.

At about 8am today - 14 hours after the trains left London - a diesel train pulled up on the track next the stricken services to rescue the passengers.

They were taken to Bournemouth station at 8.30am and given tea and coffee, food and blankets.

Many of the passengers heading for Weymouth remain stranded and face being put up in hotels due to a lack of train services.

Phillip Brown, 49, from Bournemouth, said: "The whole power system failed so we were forced to spend the night just outside New Milton with no heating at all. We had no water, no coffee or no food.

"My feet are completely numb from the cold and it's going to take a while to warm back up. People just got on with it but one guy did start to lose it with the guard towards the end but most people accepted it wasn't the guard's fault.

"We were rescued by a cross country diesel train that pulled up alongside ours and they put up a little bridge which we walked across to get to it.

"I don't feel there was any planning for this kind of scenario on the trains and that can't be right

"When the rescue train came there were guys there in suits who were obviously management and they didn't even say hello. They didn't say sorry and they didn't even speak to us.

"Absolutely more should have been done for us. When I got off the train I was offered a bottle of water for my troubles. I needed that last night when I was thirsty, not when I got off."

Flights

The impact of the weather on flight schedules has been even more severe today with over a thousand flights cancelled.

Heathrow, the world's busiest two-runway airport, will see at least 322 departing or arriving flights cancelled, representing a quarter of all scheduled services.

Airlines were asked to reduce their flights at the west London hub following discussions with airport officials and air traffic control provider Nats.

The high demand for slots at Heathrow means there is very little slack during normal operations and therefore the number of flights has to be cut during disruption.

Dublin Airport will see at least 331 cancellations on Friday, and 95 planned Edinburgh Airport services will not operate.

The number of Friday cancellations stands at 67 at Glasgow Airport, which was closed on Wednesday and Thursday.

Almost 5,000 flights have been cancelled to or from European airports since Tuesday, meaning many UK travellers are now stranded abroad.

A spokesman for travel trade organisation Abta said: "Customers who are overseas and whose flight arrangements are delayed or cancelled should liaise with their tour operator or airline regarding changes to their travel itineraries and new flight arrangements.

"If their flight is in the European Union or their airline is an EU carrier, customers will be entitled to food, refreshment and overnight accommodation or a refund of proportionate costs and will be flown home as soon as is possible at their airline's expense."

Thousands of homes without power

Thousands of homes are without electricity in the north west of England as temperatures remain sub-zero with bitter gales blowing.

Power company Electricity North West said power outages had affected parts of Stockport, Oldham, Preston, Blackburn, Bolton, Manchester, Carlisle and other parts of Cumbria and parts of Derbyshire, where 5,000 households are without power in Buxton alone.

The firm said that because of the high winds and heavy snow some of their work teams have had to stop repairs until it is safe to continue.

Emergency services working to help those stuck in the snow

Including this baby rabbit in Essex, picked up by a local police officer.

In between shovelling snow, helping stranded vehicles and keeping people safe, this police force found a rabbit that may have frozen to death without their help. 

The Prime Minister has thanked emergency services for their work in this cold weather.

She tweeted: "In the current bad weather, I want say thank you to everyone going the extra mile to keep our country moving - and to keep us safe.

"Thank you to NHS staff and care workers, the police and the armed forces, and all those working to keep our vital public services going."

Worst weather 'in a generation': Schools closed, operations cancelled and gas shortage

More than 1,000 schools were closed on Thursday during disruption which was described as the worst "in a generation", and hospitals cancelled non-urgent operations and appointments.

The South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, which prmet oovides services in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Hampshire, appealed for help  from 4x4 owners to move its staff around in the adverse conditions.

Panic-buying and snowbound delivery lorries left supermarket shelves empty of food in some parts of the country.

Theresa May has been forced to move her long-awaited Brexit speech from Newcastle to London, while households are being urged to "carry on cooking" after the National Grid issued a "gas deficit warning", prompting fears of a shortage.

Energy minister Claire Perry tried to downplay the National Grid's warning: "Do carry on using your gas heating and cooking meals as normal."

Thursday's low temperatures set a record for the UK’s coldest spring day. In Tredegar in Wales, the mercury never got above -5.2C, beating the previous record low of -4.6C at Cassley in Sutherland, Scotland, on March 2 2001.

Victims of 'Beast from the East'

The so-called Beast from the East, which met Storm Emma on Thursday, has already proved deadly.

A seven-year-old girl became the latest to die during the severe weather on Thursday.

The child, believed to be a pedestrian, was fatally injured after a car hit a house on Bodrigan Road in Looe at about 2.30pm, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

A 75-year-old woman was earlier found dead in a snow-covered street in Leeds, while Hampshire Police said a 46-year-old man died after a collision involving a lorry and van on the A34 southbound near Tot Hill services.

A 60-year-old man who died after being pulled from the water at Danson Park, near Welling, south-east London, on Wednesday, was named by the Metropolitan Police as Stephen Cavanagh.

Video: Latest Met Office weather forecast

The whole of the Irish Republic is also on red alert, valid until 6pm on Friday, after being hit by the worst snow in 35 years.

Evelyn Cusack, senior forecaster with Met Eireann, warned 40cm of snow could fall in parts of the east and south.

In Scotland,  disruption to travel was set to continue today even after the expiry of a severe weather warning.

A number of rail and bus services in the amber alert area have been suspended throughout Friday morning over concerns for safety of staff and passengers.

Weather maps for Friday and weekend

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