Birmingham Airport suspends flights as heavy snow closes roads

Birmingham Airport has suspended all runway operations due to heavy snow from Storm Goretti.

Passengers due to travel have been asked to contact their airline for the status of their flights

The airport posted an update on its social media channels on Thursday evening and said the decision came to prioritise the safety of colleagues and customers.

Road and rail services have also been affected, with a section of the A38 Bristol Road in Birmingham closed off and reports of buses stranded.

The snow caused hazardous driving conditions, with some videos showing cars and even buses sliding around in the snow in Kings Heath, in Birmingham.

An amber Met Office warning is in place for much of the Midlands and most of Wales until Friday morning. Snow could reach up to 30cm in some areas, it said.

West Midlands Railway and Network Rail are asking commuters to check journeys before travelling.

They warned passengers rail services may be delayed as ice could make it difficult for trains to run safely.

"From 19:00 GMT on Thursday, some trains across the West Midlands will run on a reduced timetable and passengers should take extra care and plan their journeys in advance," Network Rail said.

Chiltern Railways advised those travelling that a "significantly reduced service" would be in place on Friday.

A spokesperson added one Chiltern Railways service per hour would operate in each direction from Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone.

Passengers at Birmingham New Street station said they changed their travel plans to get earlier trains.

Chiny, a 39-year-old government worker, told the BBC he was heading home to Leeds a day early to try and beat the storm.

He said: "We were having a work meeting but it was ended early and everyone was told to go home because of the storm."

Kat, 22, a student at the University of Oxford, was travelling through the city on her way home to Leicester and had to get an earlier train after hers was cancelled.

She said: "My mum has offered to pick me up from the station which she normally doesn't do, so maybe that's an indicator of the seriousness of it."

West Midlands Fire Service has urged drivers to "only make essential journeys if necessary" as the storm may cause "hazardous travel".

City of Wolverhampton Council said waste collections would be called off on Friday, but advised residents to put out their bins and they would be collected as soon as it was safe to do so.

Recycling centres at Anchor Lane and Shaw Road will be closed for the same reason, while only essential adult social care services would be delivered.

Cemeteries in the city will also be shut and the local authority said cremations would be rearranged.

Schools across the region have issued closure warnings, with Waseley Hills High School saying conditions would be monitored.

"If severe weather were to require a school closure, a decision would be made and communicated by 7am on the morning concerned," it said.

BP Pulse Live said two Young Voices concerts on Thursday and Friday - featuring thousands of primary school pupils - had been postponed due to the forecast.

"We are currently working to arrange a new date for the concerts, with further details to be shared with schools and ticket holders," organisers said in a statement, adding that new dateds would be rearranged and tickets would remain valid.

Birmingham Art Gallery and Museum closed on Thursday afternoon to allow its staff to get home ahead of the snow's arrival.

The museum said it was also shut all day Friday in order to ensure the safety of staff and the public.

The University of Birmingham said it intended to open the campus and student support departments on Friday, but most departments would close earlier on Thursday, to allow staff time to return home.

Councils are continuing to grit roads, with Birmingham City Council saying gritters and , if needed, snowploughs would continue overnight and on Friday.

Sandwell Council said gritting crews had treated 270 miles of roads but warned surfaces could still be treacherous.

The major roads and motorways around Birmingham were particularly busy as many people left work early, with rush hour beginning at about 14:00.

Getting ready to help NHS workers tonight is Geoff Flegg, from West Midlands 4x4 Response.

The charity provides support to the emergency services and will have 36 responders on duty as the amber weather alert hits the region.

"It'll be extremely busy tonight. If this snow hits we'll be called out all over the West Midlands from Stoke on Trent all the way down to Stratford," he said.

The volunteers will most likely be working through the night to ensure staff can get in for their shifts, and also get home safely.

"We're there making sure staff can get into do their job and look after the patients," he added.

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