Snow and freezing weather threaten to shut down Britain (click title to entry - thank you)
Arctic blizzards are set to cause a national shutdown on Monday as forecasters warn of the most widespread snowfall for almost 20 years.
By John Bingham
Last Updated: 11:34PM GMT 01 Feb 2009
The Met Office is warning of an "extreme weather event" across large swathes of England, Scotland and Wales with up to 10in of snow expected even in the usually warmer south and as much as 1ft on higher ground.
With freezing temperatures expected to endure for at least a week, there were predictions that resulting disruption and an expected spike in absenteeism could cost the British economy as much as £600 million a day, as the public transport system grinds to a halt and schools and offices are forced to close.
The wintry conditions claimed their first victim at the weekend as a walker fell more than 650ft after slipping on "iron-hard" snow in the Cairngorms.
Teresa Conalty, 40, from Co Wicklow, Ireland, died after slipping while walking on Coire Cas on Saturday.
Heavy snowfall forced Gatwick and London City airports to temporarily close their runways on Sunday night.
A Gatwick spokeswoman said 23 flights had been cancelled and 18 diverted as a result of the weather.
The snow also caused problems with the rail network as a number of services between London and the south coast were experiencing delays and cancellations as the snow drifted onto tracks....
