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Travel remains largely undisturbed by snow

Travel remains largely undisturbed by snow

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Pic: mermaid

With the ground already icy after a sub-zero night, snow started falling at 9am today in east London. It continued falling steadily throughout the day, as a band of weather which has already caused travel disruption and school closures in the west of the country moved eastward towards the capital.

Eastlondonlines liveblogged the weather and travel updates, with contributions from all across our boroughs. There was little travel disruption, thanks to timely gritting by the councils and the fact that cars were already on the road when snow started to fall. A train left commuters stranded on the way out of Croydon during the afternoon rush hour, but apart from that everything ran smoothly.

The snow is due to continue throughout Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 January.

You can read our liveblog of the snowfall and find advice on winter conditions below.

18.30

Well, that’s about it from us for today – we hope you found it useful. If you need to check the winter weather advice in your borough, you can do so here:

Hackney

Tower Hamlets

Lewisham

Croydon

For the most up to date weather forecast, you can visit the Met Office website.

For live travel news in London, check out the TfL update page.

To check on train times for further afield, you can visit the national rail status page.

There are also ice warnings for the roads before midday tomorrow.

18.17

We will be wrapping up the liveblog soon, but before we go here is the most recent travel update:

TfL is currently reporting a good service on both the overground and the DLR. There are only minor delays in the Tube, apart from on the Metropolitan Line which is experiencing severe delays.

TfL are not reporting any problems on the roads or bus routes.

People travelling out of Croydon on the train are experiencing delays of over an hour and Southern Rail are announcing cancellations, due to a broken down train on the line. For the latest updates from Southern Rail, check here.

17.59

Commuters aren’t impressed with being caught up in the train delays through Croydon. Here are a couple more tweets:

 

 

17.53

There is a good service still across the entire overground and Docklands Light Railway system. However, there are severe delays on the Metropolitan Line in central London.

17.44

TfL isn’t reporting any problems with buses across the ELL boroughs. An earlier problem with the 410 in Croydon has been sorted out:

 

17.33

Severe delays on Southern Rail out of Croydon look set to continue for some time, due to a broken down train. You can check the status of all train companies here.

17.26

The overground is operating with a good service and there are only minor delays in the Tube.

17.19

A flurry of tweets coming in about the train delays in Croydon:

 

 

 

17.13

Rush hour is upon us and trains are severely delayed between Croydon and Surrey. You can check live train updates here.

 

17.09

There appears to be virtually no snow left in Tower Hamlets – Bablu Miah has tweeted us this from Brick Lane:

 

16.56

The Met Office have revised their forecast back down to only ‘light’ snow this evening. However, the amber weather warning remains in place and the snow is set to continue all through Saturday and Sunday.

There are ice warnings in place on the roads until tomorrow lunchtime.

16.44

Nikki Quinn, Communications Manager at Hackney Council, has sent us the view from her office window:

 

16.33

The overground has sorted itself out and is now running with only minor delays.

16:25

Major delays have kicked in on the overground. TfL are reporting severe disruption on the entire line from Stratford to Clapham Junction, and from Stratford to Willesden Junction.

Tube lines are all running normally.

16:18

This report from Ashleigh Cowie shows that, despite the snow easing off for now, people are still being very careful around east London:

[quote by=”Ashleigh Cowie”]Children are absolutely loving to snow, but adults unfortunately don’t share this joy. Train stations are full of London business people carefully, anxiously and very slowly moving their way down slippy steps and across icy roads. There are some overground trains that are delayed, but the majority seem to be unaffected by the weather.[/quote]

16:05

Lautel Ohio reports that there are still some small flakes falling in New Cross, but it’s not the “swirling mass of frosty nightmare” that it was earlier today.

Pic: Alexandra Roca

15.58

Trains are still running between New Cross Gate and London Bridge, but there are some minor delays:

 

15.51

Alexandra Rocca has sent us this report from Old Street, where caution seems to be the name of the game:

[quote by=”Alexandra Rocca”]The snowing has stopped but temperature is low as snow remains on the ground. Some cars are covered and there is hardly anyone walking in the streets.[/quote]

15:43

School children in Hackney are making the most of the snow on their way home. Ellie Slee sends us this from Fellows Court:

[quote by=”Ellie Slee”]It’s snowball carnage.[/quote]

15.35

TfL are still reporting a suspension of the overground service between Watford High Street and Harrow and Wealdstone. There were  also reports of minor delays on the Docklands Light Railway, but these seem to have cleared now.

On the Tube, there are severe delays on the Circle and Metropolitan lines.

15.21

The snow has slowed down quite considerably now in Lewisham. Mercedes Artola has taken this photo of Goldsmiths looking resplendent:

Pic: Mercedes Amezola

15.12

Sasha Filimonov gives us an update from Whitechapel:

[quote by=”Sasha Filimonov”]The snow is slowing down. Shrieks of disappointment are heard.[/quote]

15.08

The Christian Muslim Forum of Tower Hamlets have abandoned attempts to cycle round the borough and opted for indoors instead:

 

14.55

Ruchi Srivastava has sent us an update from Brockley:

[quote by=”Ruchi Srivastava”]In Brockley, snow has picked up rapidly with the snow shower coming down with greater force now. Streets still remain clear with vehicles being able to travel smoothly. However, trains between Richmond and Stratford may be delayed by up to 30 minutes. Check the hashtags #SnowLondonOverground and #uksnow for updates.[/quote]

14.43

Two of the closures on the overground have now been fixed. Services are now running normally again between Euston and Kilburn High Road, and between Shepherd’s Bush and Imperial Wharf.

The only reported suspension at the moment is between Harrow and Wealdstone and Watford High Street.

There are, however, severe delays on the Northern Line and Circle Line due to faulty trains.

TfL aren’t reporting any problems on the roads.

14.30

Here are a few more tweets:

 

 

 

14.22

A photo of this rather dainty little Vespa has come through from Ellie Slee in Dalston. It is obviously not ideal transport for slippery streets, but does look very picturesque:

Pic: Ellie Slee

14.07

Stairs are getting potentially hazardous in the icy weather. Alan Dymock sends us this from London Bridge:

[quote by=”Alan Dymock”]London Bridge is pretty white, but none of it is lying. Too many humans and cars. Watching the stairs to the Tube could be fairly entertaining though, and I’m not sure the entrances to Borough market would be the easiest to negotiate.There are also a lot of cranes in this neck of the woods, but little action. From the window I can see only one lonely digger, swirling away while workmen mill around looking sorry for themselves.[/quote]

14.01

One of our reporters has sent us this from on board a Lewisham bus:

 

13.52

Ellie Slee sends this report from Dalston:

[quote by=”Ellie Slee”]The snow isn’t falling as thickly any more, and the wind seems to have abated slightly. I’ve just seen my first breakdown and two inappropriately attired (for the weather) ladies freaking out on Mortimer Road. Everyone is beaming as they walk around. A man came up to me on De Beauvoir Road and said “do you love it?”[/quote]

13.45

There are still three part closures of the overground, though none in east London. TfL are not reporting any problems on the roads.

13.31

Whitechapel High Street seems largely unaffected by the snow and traffic is moving freely:

Pic: Frank McGivern

13.17

It looks like everyone in Hoxton has gone for the sensible option and is staying indoors. Our reporter sent us this picture:

Pic: Ellie Slee

13.04

Siobhan Lockhart has tweeted this picture of people braving the cold on Lewisham High Street:

 

13.00

The snow is causing further disruption to the overground. Service has now been suspended between Shepherd’s Bush and Imperial Wharf because of power supply problems.

The service is also still suspended between Harrow and Wealdstone and Watford High Street, and between Euston and Kilburn High Road.

However, trains are still running smoothly in east London.

12.54

The Met Office have revised their forecast again: predicted snowfall has been increased from ‘light’ to ‘heavy’ at 6pm today. Light snow is forecast for the whole of the afternoon and later in the evening. You can check the latest updates here.

12.47

We’re getting some nice pictures via the #snowELL hashtag. Here’s one from Hackney:

 

12.40

Here are those icicles we mentioned:

Pic: Sasha Filimonov

12.38

People seem undeterred by the weather in Lewisham. Our reporter Siobhan Lockhart says that the high street is still busy with shoppers despite the snow.

12.36

The weather seems to be getting visibly worse in Tower Hamlets. Our Whitechapel reporter says:

[quote by=”Sasha Filimonov”]Icicles have begun to form outside my window and the snow layer is getting visibly thicker.[/quote]

12.31

One of our reporters in Hackney has sent us this picture from Stamford Hill:

Pic: Sophie Robinson-Tillett

12.22

Some schools in Croydon are closing early today on account of the snow. There is a complete list of closing times here.

12.18

Hackney Council say that the borough’s recycling collections will be happening today as usual:

 

12.12

Flights from London City Airport are experiencing delays and cancellations because of the weather. You can check flight updates here.

Elizabeth Townsend was due to be flying from London City to the Isle of Man with British Airways this morning, but has had her flight cancelled. Here’s what she says:

[quote by=”Elizabeth Townsend”]Sadly my plans to get the train up to Liverpool seem to be shared by many others and rail prices have just rocketed in the past half hour to way more than I can afford (over £100). I am considering coach options but may well end up staying in Lewisham until early next week.[/quote]

12.00

Our reporter at Roman Road in Tower Hamlets sends us this:

[quote by=”Helen Lock”]It is still snowing heavily. Snow has settled on the ground around houses and flats. Visibility is a bit poor but cars are still moving.[/quote]

11.54

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #snowELL if you would like to tweet us! Here are a few that have come in so far:

 

 

 

11.49

Our reporter in Whitechapel has sent this picture of snowy rooftops in Tower Hamlets:

Pic: Sasha Filimov

11.35

A second section of the overground has been suspended because of snow affecting the power supply. There is now no service between Euston and Kilburn High Road.

11.29

The Met Office has reduced its London forecast for midday from ‘heavy snow’ to ‘light snow’. However, amber weather warnings remain in place, which mean ‘be prepared’. The Met Office is also saying that while the air temperature is at -2°C, it will feel more like -7°C because of wind chill. You can check the latest forecasts here.

11.21

Councils across all four boroughs are encouraging residents to check on their neighbours.

[quote by=”Hackney Council”]Check on isolated, elderly, bed bound, or sick neighbours, family or friends and make sure they are warm and well.[/quote]

[quote by=”Croydon Councillor Phil Thomas, cabinet member for highways and environmental services”]We’d also call on people to look out for their neighbours – if they are elderly or vulnerable then check to see if they need any help.[/quote]

11.10

 

11.05

TfL are still not reporting any problems on the roads as a result of snow. One of our reporters in Brockley sends us this picture of traffic moving freely:

Pic: Adeline Bailleul

10.57

Our reporter in Whitechapel sends us this:

[quote by=”Sasha Filimonov”]8:30 am – NO snow. 9:45 am – SNOW. It has been coming down steadily since, seeming to pick up a bit more in the past half hour. It’s definitely sticking and the silence outside is rather eery. No sirens.[/quote]

10.45

The overground is now part suspended between Harrow and Wealdstone and Watford High Street due to power supply problems caused by snow. There is a good service on the rest of the overground. You can check the latest updates here.

10.41

Croydon Council has released a statement advising drivers and businesses to be careful today:

[quote by=”Croydon Council”]Car users are being advised to leave their vehicles at home as road travel may become very difficult later in the afternoon.

Businesses who are thinking of closing early if conditions do become bad are asked to think about staggering the times that they allow their staff to leave for home, with those living furthest away leaving first.[/quote]

10.36

One of our reporters sends this from Hackney:

[quote by=”Silvia Boccardi”]Snow settled in Haggerston, but not much, maybe 2 cm.[/quote]

10.31

Everything is looking decidedly wintry at Goldsmiths, with a thin layer of snow already settled:

Pic: Zhora Qureshi

10.19

Hackney Council have responded to criticism over the lack of grit on pavements:

 

10.10

TfL are currently reporting that there is no disruption to services on the overground or DLR and there are no problems resulting from snow on the roads as yet.

10.05

There is praise on Twitter for Tower Hamlet’s gritting scheme. You can view a map showing which roads are treated here.

 

09.57

One of our journalists is in Hither Green in Lewisham and sends this report:

[quote by=”Sarah Howell”]It’s currently snowing but not too heavily, and the ground is already covered in a thin layer. Not too strong a wind and cars are passing on the road without difficulty.[/quote]

09.52

The gritters were up at 5am in Croydon this morning making sure the primary roads and pavements were well salted. Primary roads are the ‘A’ roads, main bus routes, approaches to stations and emergency centres and steep hills.

According to the council website, approximately 30% of roads are gritted in Croydon during bad weather. You can check whether your road is one of them by visiting the council’s gritting pages.

09.45

It seems that pavements in Hackney have not been gritted:

 

09.38

Despite only starting half an hour ago, the snow is already starting to stick. The icy ground means that it has the perfect base, so it is likely to build up quickly. Lewisham Council have released a map showing which streets are gritted in these conditions:

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