Britain was bracing for more snow, rain and flooding on Monday as severe weather disrupted road and rail travel and forced airports in northern England to temporarily close their runways, delaying dozens of flights.

Heavy overnight snow has created significant travel disruption across the UK as the cold start to the new year continues.

Snow and ice have brought disruption to Yorkshire for a second day, with dozens of schools closed and commuters faced with widespread travel delays. Heavy snowfall over the weekend failed to thaw overnight in many parts of the region, but where it did flood warnings were issued in 14 areas across North, South and West Yorkshire.

Several major airports were forced to suspend flights; rural communities particularly in the north of England could be cut off with up to 40 centimeters of snow

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.

Heavy snow brought disruption across Yorkshire on Sunday, with weather warnings in place across the region. Commuters faced problems due to trains, buses and trams being cancelled and roads being closed. Leeds Bradford Airport's runway was closed for more than six hours as snow covered the runway.