Travel chaos as heaviest snows for half a century grip capital

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Travel: Getting around London - hourly update

Snow: Amazing scenes as London comes to a virtual standstill

Fun: Where to go sledging and snowboarding in the capital

Pics: Londoners enjoy the first snowfall of 2009

Plus: Beautiful scenes of the capital blanketed in snow

AN ARCTIC blast brought London to a standstill today after the capital was hit by the heaviest snowfall in more than half a century. 

Millions of commuters were left stranded as up to 7in (17.5cm) of snow fell in just a few hours, and with more snow on the way, the capital will receive its deepest covering since 1964.

Forecasters predict the icy blast will leave London paralysed this week - costing businesses millions of pounds in lost economic productivity.

All forms of transport in the capital were hit by the weather with:

* Trains on ten of London's 11 Tube lines cancelled or partly suspended.

* All of the capital's 6,800 buses taken off the roads due to safety fears.

* Motorists told to stay at home as treacherous conditions led to scores of accidents and heavy snowdrifts left some roads impassable. 

* British Airways cancelled all flights from Heathrow Airport and both runways were closed after one plane slid into the grass while taxiing along the runway.

* City of London airport was closed and services at both Gatwick and Stansted were badly hit by delays.

* Southeastern train services into the capital were cancelled and First Great Western services from Wales and the South West into London to Paddington ended at Reading.

The blizzards are expected to continue for at least another day, with snow showers also forecast for Thursday and Friday.

Met Office forecaster Helen Chivers said: "This is the heaviest snowfall London has seen for years, but we're going to get more. There are a lot of showers still coming in from the North Sea.

"It's winter for a change. The last two have been really mild, really wet and really windy. We don't get this very often."

A spokesman for Transport for London said: "The advice is to check before you travel, expect disruption and if your journey is necessary then allow more time for your journey."

Many determined workers who did manage to make it into work found their offices empty and were ordered home early due to fears that the snowfall later today will cause even more chaos.

Stock market dealing floors were left half empty for early trading and shops and businesses were also hit.

The London Stock Exchange said trading activity had fallen to levels not normally seen except on traditionally quiet days, such as Christmas Eve.

The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry warned previous events which left the transport system crippled, such as the 2007 one-day Tube strike, cost businesses £48m.

The bad weather did bring some good news - thousands of children enjoyed a day off as hundreds of schools were closed.

Travel: Getting around London - hourly update

Snow: Amazing scenes as London comes to a virtual standstill

Fun: Where to go sledging and snowboarding in the capital

Pics: Londoners enjoy the first snowfall of 2009

Plus: Beautiful scenes of the capital blanketed in snow