Freezing fog, sleet and snow are set to cause travel disruption for at least a week, with snow stopping planes in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and more bitter weather to come.
Dozens of flights have been cancelled out of Dublin airport with at least 23 outbound flights and 27 inbound flights cancelled so far on Saturday.
There were 69 departing flights and 74 inbound flights cancelled on Friday evening. The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) said the de-icing of planes had caused the delays.
On Saturday morning, Manchester airport temporarily closed both runways due to heavy snowfall, with dozens of flights affected.
Image: The EasyJet flight to Reykjavik is just one affected. Pic: Simon Stephenson/Twitter
One passenger, Simon Stephenson, told Sky News he had been due to fly to Reykjavik at 7.45am, but had been left sat on the plane which he had been told would be delayed until at least midday.
Sky News weather presenter Kirsty McCabe says we can expect the disruption caused by the wintry weather to last for at least another week, adding: “The artic blast of cold weather will bring a mix of wintry hazards, including frost, ice, sleet, snow and freezing fog”.
With “stubborn fog patches” forecast on Saturday, parts of the UK “will feel very cold with temperatures staying close to freezing in places”.
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Wintry showers will bring “a risk of ice with snowfall mainly over higher ground” across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and western England. As the evening moves on “snowfall will reach lower levels as the temperature drops”.
Image: Saturday weather warning from the Met Office
Image: Sunday weather warning from the Met Office
It comes as the Met Office warned freezing fog, sleet and snow could bring travel disruption to parts of the UK during the coming days.
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As the bitterly-cold weather continues, temperatures are set to stay low, hitting minus 10C (14F) in isolated areas on Saturday and Sunday.
Southeast England has been covered by a yellow weather warning for snow and ice, kicking in at 9am for most of London from 9am on Sunday and staying in place until 9am on Monday. There is a 30% chance of up to 5cm of snow.
Image: Both runways have been closed at Manchester airport, leaving passengers waiting on planes in the snow
The western coast of England, Wales and the north of Northern Ireland have warnings for ice on Saturday and Sunday.
Scotland, apart from the southwest, has a yellow warning for snow and ice covering Saturday and Sunday.
Temperatures in Co Donegal are around 0 to 4C and are due to drop to as low as minus 5C on Saturday night.
Concerns have been raised in particular for the welfare of older people who live alone, for those sleeping rough, and asylum seekers housed in tented accommodation.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is advising people to look out for friends and family who are vulnerable in the cold and to ensure they have access to warm food and drinks, adding that people should maintain indoor temperatures of at least 18C (64.4F).
Image: Frosty donkeys in Barnham, West Sussex
Dr Agostinho Sousa, consultant in public health medicine at the agency, advised people to “keep your bedroom windows closed at night,” adding that “wearing several layers of clothing will keep you warmer than one thicker layer.”
Travel disruption is expected to reach into the working week, especially on Monday morning, and could include power cuts, problems with mobile phone coverage, and some rural communities being cut off.
Gritters have been out across the UK in a bid to keep motorways and major A-roads open. The RAC said the number of breakdown callouts has been 25% higher than usual.
Local councils and charities have opened more than 3,200 “warm banks” are open across the UK, to help people keep warm if they cannot afford to heat their homes.
The Warm Welcome Campaign said many of these are a third or half full and offer services including hot tea and a place to work.
Save the Children said 194 of 355 councils in England and Wales are involved in or supporting local groups to open warm spaces this winter.
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Millions of people cannot afford to keep warm at home, just as the winter’s first major cold snap arrives, say campaigners.
Becca Lyon, head of child poverty at Save the Children UK, said: “Families should not be in a position where they are agonising over whether to put the heating on in sub-zero temperatures. Parents have told us they will risk going into debt to keep their children warm.”
Councillor Richard Wenham, vice-chairman of the Local Government Association’s resources board, said the emergency schemes “should not become the norm” and are “not a sustainable solution to bridge the gap between income and the current cost of living”.
It comes as people on the lowest incomes in hundreds of affected postcode districts in England and Wales are set to receive a £25 cold weather payment as a result of the conditions.
Payments of £25 are issued automatically to certain regions when the average temperature is recorded or is forecast to be 0C or below for seven days in a row.
A man has died after suffering cardiac arrest onboard a boat attempting to reach the UK.
The vessel turned back towards Equihen beach on the French coast yesterday morning.
A nurse tried to resuscitate the man but was unsuccessful.
Image: Pic: PA
French authorities have now launched an investigation into the circumstances.
A spokesperson for Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, has criticised authorities on both sides of the Channel.
Jacob Burns said: “Yet again we have a tragedy in the Channel, that is the consequence of the deadly, costly and ineffective security policies implemented by the UK and France.”
Image: Pic: PA
Later on Saturday, a lifeboat carried migrants who have made the voyage into the Port of Dover.
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Photographs showed them huddled under blankets and orange life jackets on board.
“The opportunity of tomorrow and what’s on offer is the best thing in football,” the England captain said. “I think we don’t necessarily carry the weight of it and how much it means to people, but we’re aware of it because it means the same to us.”
So often they were only watching other nations making finals.
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England’s first was the men winning the 1966 World Cup.
Image: England manager Sarina Wiegman reacts to defeat against Spain at the Women’s World Cup final in 2023. Pic: Reuters
Image: Lauren James looks dejected after their World Cup defeat, but is confirmed fit for Sunday’s revenge match against Spain. Pic: Reuters
Now, in Basel, comes the chance for revenge against Spain – even though no one in the England camp is saying that, publicly at least, in Switzerland.
Especially knowing how challenging a task it is coming up again against Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putella – the recent winners of football’s biggest individual honours.
Image: England fans celebrating after England beat Italy to reach the finals. Pic: Reuters
Image: Given England’s history against Spain, it could be a nerve-wracking time for England fans. File pic: Action Images/Reuters
But this is Spain’s first Euros final.
And there is some fear from the world champions at England’s grit and resolve to produce comebacks late in the quarter-finals and semi-finals – with 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang’s goals integral to the fightbacks.
Image: England celebrate their semi-final win against Italy to reach the finals. Pic: Reuters
Image: Michelle Agyemang has propelled England to the Euro 2025 final with two vital goals. Pic: AP
Spain captain Irene Paredes reflected yesterday on how the Lionesses can flip a result late on.
But she was also discussing how their World Cup win was tarnished by the on-pitch kiss that led to former Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales being convicted of a sexual assault on striker Jenni Hermoso.
It sparked a wider clamour in Spain for improved rights and respect for women.
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Spain’s players struggle for respect
“Since then [2023] we took big steps forward,” Paredes said.
“I think this idea is disappearing from society. I still believe we have to continue opening doors… we’re a reference for boys and girls in society, but we still have things to do.”
It is a reminder that while tonight is about collecting silverware, both England and Spain know that emerging as champions can drive further growth in women’s football back home.
Amid it all, they’ll try to savour just what reaching a final means and how rare they are – until recently for English and Spanish women.
A woman who thought she was being injected with Botox was left unable to swallow and doctors thought she had suffered a stroke – after she contracted a life-threatening illness from a potentially illegal product.
Nicola Fairley is one of dozens of people who have developed botulism linked to unlicensed anti-wrinkle injections.
She had the procedure done with her regular beautician after winning a Facebook competition for three areas of “Botox”.
Image: Nicola Fairley
“Within two or three hours my forehead and the sides of my eyes had started to freeze,” Nicola says.
“At first I thought ‘amazing’, that’s what I wanted – then it just carried on.”
Nicola was eventually sent to A&E in Durham, where she met several other patients who all had similar symptoms.
Doctors were stumped. “They thought I’d had a stroke,” she says.
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“We all had problems with our eyes, some of us with our breathing. I couldn’t swallow – they put me on nil by mouth because they were worried I would choke in the waiting room.”
Image: Doctors were worried Nicola could choke after she was injected with a suspected illegal product
It turns out all of the patients had recently had anti-wrinkle injections containing botulinum toxin.
Health officials believe they were imported, illegal products.
Botulism – the disease they caused – is so rare many doctors never see it in their entire careers.
It can cause symptoms including slurred speech and breathing problems, and can be deadly.
The disease is so unusual, and so many cases were coming in, that doctors exhausted their stocks of anti-toxin and had to ask hospitals as far away as London to get more.
The UK Health Security Agency has so far confirmed 38 cases of botulism linked to cosmetic toxin injections, but Sky News has been told of several more.
The outbreak began in the North East but cases have now been seen in the East of England and East Midlands as well.
There are only a handful of legal botulinum toxin products in the UK – of which Botox is one.
But cosmetic treatments are largely unregulated, with anyone allowed to inject products like fillers and toxins without any medical training.
Cheap, illegal products imported from overseas are easily available.
Image: Dr Steven Land
‘It’s the Wild West’
Dr Steven Land runs Novellus Aesthetics clinic in Newcastle upon Tyne. He worked for decades as an emergency medicine doctor before moving into aesthetics.
He says he has been warning health officials of an outbreak for years.
“It’s the Wild West,” Dr Land told Sky News.
“Because anyone can do this, there is a lack of knowledge around what is legal, what’s not legal, what is okay to be injected.
“These illegal toxins could have 50 units, 5,000 units or rat poison – there could be anything in there.”