Latest weather: Snow and freezing rain hits the UK as airports including Manchester and Liverpool close runways

Horse racing was due to take place at Chepstow and Plumpton after both racecourses passed morning inspections.

After a second test at 9am, Chepstow posted on his X account: “Test passed. Racing will continue.”

Plumpton also provided some positive news after his 8:30 a.m. test by posting on X: 25mm of rain fell overnight and there is standing water, but the ground is safe for racing at this time.

“Up to 5mm of rain is expected. We will continue to monitor the area, but there are no plans for further testing at this time.”

Two Sky Bet League matches, Chesterfield vs. Gillingham and Fleetwood vs. AFC Wimbledon, have been postponed to Sunday morning.

Fleetwood said: “Due to heavy snowfall on the Fylde coast between Saturday night and Sunday morning, which worsened the situation on the pitch and surrounding area, a telephone call was made in consultation with the EFL and PGMOL to postpone the match.” Announced.

Liverpool said “every effort” was being made to hold their home game against Manchester United on Sunday despite the poor weather on Merseyside, with a decision expected to be taken shortly after midday.

Snow fell across Merseyside and the North West overnight and Liverpool City Council’s safety advisory group met on Sunday morning to decide whether the Premier League match could be held due to access issues.

The group plans to reconvene at midday in the hope that the weather will improve and the match, one of the biggest in English football, will kick off as scheduled at 4.30pm.

“A safety meeting was held this morning to assess the weather and travel situation for today’s game against Manchester United at Anfield,” league leaders Liverpool posted on their official X account.

“At this stage, the match is scheduled to proceed as normal and every effort is being made to get the match underway.

“There will be another safety meeting at noon to assess the latest situation.

“We will update our supporters as soon as possible. Dear Reds, please take good care.”

Leeds Bradford Airport announced it had closed its runway this morning following disruption caused by heavy snow.

In a statement on its website, the airport said its teams were “working diligently to clear the snow and minimize the impact on flight schedules.”

Passengers are also advised to walk to the terminal, as shuttle bus services for long-term stays and rental cars will be temporarily postponed.

According to the airport, some morning departures have been rescheduled to this afternoon.

It said it hoped to reopen the runway at noon, but said it was subject to change. In any case, passengers will be provided with further updates.

Up to 25cm of snow and ice could hit roads in northern England, Highways has warned.

This includes the A628 Woodhead Pass, which connects Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire via the Peak District, which was closed overnight in both directions between the A616 at Flach and the A57 at Hollingworth due to snowfall.

The A66 in County Durham and Cumbria is also closed between the M6 ​​and A1M due to the situation.

One lane of the northbound A3 in Hampshire was closed on Sunday morning due to flooding following overnight snowfall.

It warned that as well as snow, rain could initially fall on frozen ground and lead to ice, with high-lying areas including the Cotswolds and Peak District most at risk.

A new yellow weather warning for rain has been issued for southern England on Sunday.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said there could be disruption to bus and train services, and road spray and flooding could delay vehicle travel.

The warning is in place from Cornwall to Kent and will remain in place until 9am on Monday.

A second safety meeting has been scheduled for midday GMT to decide whether the match can be held at Anfield after an amber weather warning was issued for large parts of the north of England. The first meeting was held early after runways were closed at both Manchester Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport following widespread travel disruptions.

If this match takes place, Arne Slott’s team will aim to further dominate the title race. Arsenal dropping another point yesterday only strengthens Liverpool’s position, who still have a game in hand against their rivals. The arrival of Ruben Amorim will not change Manchester United’s fortunes and the situation at Old Trafford is not very active at the moment. The visiting side have won just two league games since taking over in November, but recent defeats to Wolves and Newcastle illustrate the scale of the job the Portuguese has to undertake.

For the latest news from Anfield, check out the Independent’s sports team live blogs below.

Passengers on Britain’s main rail operator, London North Eastern Railway (LNER), have been urged to postpone their train journeys on the East Coast Main Line tomorrow.

The line connects London’s King’s Cross with Yorkshire, the north-east of England and Scotland.

“Due to the heavy snowfall, rail services across the entire London North Eastern rail network may be suspended or delayed,” the company said.

“LNER tickets traveling on Sunday 5th January will be available for use on Monday 6th January.

‘If you can’t postpone your trip, tickets are available at no extra charge on the following train companies: Transpennine Express between Manchester, Leeds and York/Newcastle. Take a reasonable route north. Great Northern and London. Thameslink between Kings Cross, Stevenage and Peterborough.

“Please note that other carriers’ services may also be disrupted. We are working with Network Rail to get services back up and running as soon as possible.”

Hull Trains, another mainline company on the east coast, said: “Due to dangerous weather conditions, alternative rail services are currently unable to operate. This will be reassessed at midday. We apologize for any inconvenience. .”

Ryan Brewer was on board Qatar Airways Flight QR21 from Doha to Manchester, which was diverted to Birmingham.

he said. independent person: “I sat on the tarmac for over two hours hoping to get back to Manchester.

“We were told there is no ground support here for refueling etc. The crew is off-hours and must disembark. What are our rights?”

Under the Air Passenger Rights Regulations, airlines will be required to arrange subsequent transport, which is likely to include coach travel. However, for many passengers, a better option may be to take the train from Birmingham International Station, which is adjacent to the airport.

Passengers not only get their train fare back, but they can also claim meals while waiting. However, no cash compensation will be paid as the airline is not responsible for the disruption.