Warmer weather and showers have brought an end to widespread disruption to road and rail caused by freezing weather yesterday.

Snow fell across the Southeast on Thursday evening and early Friday and, combined with icy conditions, brought parts of the transport network shuddering to a halt.

Some commuters were stuck in their cars until midnight on Thursday and many fared little better travelling to work on Friday morning.

However temperatures have risen slightly this morning and showery weather has allowed most travel disruptions to be cleared.

Some roads, including the M25, are still affected, and Stansted Airport opened this morning after severe disruptions yesterday.

Hundreds of vehicles were stranded and traffic queues crawled around motorways in the southwest yesterday.

Tube and train services also struggled to cope, with more than 40 LU stations closed.

One of the worst hit was the M11 where many drivers have spent the night, many only managing to cover a few miles between the Stansted and Duxford junctions.

At one stage, 13-mile tailback built up on the northbound M11 following a multiple accident involving a jack-knifed vehicle.

Dozens of schools were closed closed yesterday because snow and ice made it difficult for buses.

February 1, 2003 11:30