In a statement issued just after 6am, Manchester Airport said: "Our runways are temporarily closed due to heavy snow, as our teams work hard to clear them as quickly as possible. The safety of our passengers is our top priority, and we appreciate your patience during this time.

The UK is set for more travel chaos this week as heavy snow turns to rain and flooding overnight, the Met Office warned. The forecaster warned of heavy rainfall across much of central and southern England between Sunday and Monday morning – with bus and train services set to be affected.