6:25 am, December 3, 2023
Police declare major incident in Cumbria after snowfall
Cumbria Police has urged people not to travel to the county on Sunday after it declared a major incident because of heavy snowfall on the county’s roads.
The force said a multi-agency response was ongoing on Saturday evening to ‘minimise the challenges that heavy snowfall is continuing to have on the county’s road network’.
It has urged people not to travel to the county on Sunday unless necessary, adding that some highway teams had been ‘verbally abused’ as they attempted to deal with the situation.
More travel chaos for passengers as train drivers strike
Strikes by train drivers will continue on Sunday, leading to the cancellation of services, with more disruption set to hit passengers for the rest of the week.
Members of the drivers’ union Aslef are staging a series of walkouts in the coming days in a long-running dispute over pay.
They are also banning overtime until next weekend which will lead to disruption and cancellations.
Aslef members on Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, West Midlands Trains and Great Northern/Thameslink will strike on Sunday, with an expected knock-on impact on services on Monday morning.
Snowstorm brings Munich airport to standstill
All flights were grounded at Munich’s airport on Saturday after a winter storm dumped snow across southern Germany and parts of Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, affecting travel across the region.
After initially announcing a halt in air traffic until noon on Saturday, the airport later announced flights would be cancelled until 6am on Sunday.
Other airports in the region, including in the Swiss financial capital Zurich, also announced weather-related delays and cancellations.
Be kind to shop and bar staff plea in build-up to Christmas
Shoppers, diners and pub-goers are being urged to be kind and considerate to staff this Christmas amid concern for their welfare at their busiest time.
The plea comes as violence and abuse against those in customer-facing roles continues to climb, with a recent union survey showing 65% of retail staff experienced verbal abuse and 42% have been threatened by a customer in the last 12 months.
Trade bodies are reminding the public that Christmas can be an complex and challenging time for the retail and hospitality industry and asking people for patience, kindness and consideration during the build-up to the holiday.
Just Stop Oil protesters demonstrate outside New Scotland Yard
Just Stop Oil (JSO) protesters have held a demonstration outside the Metropolitan Police’s central London headquarters.
At least two climate activists, who gathered outside New Scotland Yard on Saturday afternoon, were carried into waiting police vans.
Uniformed officers watched as the protesters held speeches in which they said they would take their protest to other London sites, which they dubbed ‘centres of oppression’, such as the Supreme Court.
David Hockney unveils Christmas display
David Hockney has unveiled his latest Christmas-themed artwork to bring ‘joy and hope’ to people in London.
The Bigger Christmas Trees artwork at Battersea Power Station depicts two large green and purple striped Christmas trees, each with a gold star at the top.
The artwork is being displayed on the landmark’s two chimneys, which measure 100 metres (328 feet) and overlook the River Thames.
Fog, ice and snow
There will be lots of cloud over England and Wales on Sunday, according to the Met Office, with some outbreaks of rain and snow on hills.
The fog will gradually lift for most for some sunny spells although it will be cold throughout the day.
Tonight, there will be rain across England and Wales that will turn wintry over hills although there will be clearer spells in the north.
