Weird weather
THE coldest weather in 30 years in December in the United Kingdom resulted in widespread ice and sub-zero temperatures that caused disruption throughout much of the country. Thick snow covered virtually the entire country from Scotland, down through England to the tip of Wales and ensured a white (though somewhat chaotic) Christmas, the country’s first official one in five years. Thousands of schools were closed and commuters faced severe disruptions because of the heavy snow.

Airports were also disrupted with flight cancellations. Eurostar was hit by three days of stoppages to its cross-channel rail service prior to Christmas, as several of its trains broke down in the Channel Tunnel (under the English Channel) due to bad weather. About 4000 homes in southern England were without electricity after heavy snow affected power lines . It is estimated the disruption could cost the British economy up to $6.14 billion (2 billion pounds). The severe weather saw some parts of Britain as cold as the South Pole with temperatures plummeting to a staggering minus 21 degrees celcius. At least six people died in accidents or froze to death while stranded in their vehicles.