Heathrow closes after snow halts transport

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Heavy snow disrupted air and rail travel in northern Europe on Monday, halting flights at Heathrow airport and bringing traffic in London almost to a standstill.

Tens of thousands of commuters were advised not to attempt the journey into work in London, experiencing some of its worst snow in almost 20 years. Buses were taken off the roads and hundreds of schools were closed across the country, leaving children to play and build snowmen in parks and gardens.

"I'd rather be sledging than at school," said 7-year-old Georgie Cunliffe, in a London park.

Forecasters said Britain would be gripped by a second day of freezing weather on Tuesday with more heavy snow spreading across the country overnight.

Conditions familiar to eastern Europe and other northerly countries notoriously pitch Britain into chaos, its infrastructure ill prepared for the cold.

Northern France also had difficulty as snow blanketed Paris and surrounding countryside bringing major air, rail and road systems to a halt.

London business leaders said the estimated cost to the capital alone could be as much as 48 million pounds in lost productivity. The country's Federation of Small Businesses estimated that continuing bad weather on Tuesday could cost the economy more than one billion pounds.

All flights in and out of Heathrow, a major international hub, were cancelled for a period before a limited service resumed with long delays and cancellations. One of its two runways was closed.  Continued...