Travel chaos looms as capital prepares for heavy snowfall

Commuters were told to brace for serious delays tomorrow as up to eight inches of snow is forecast to fall overnight.

The Met Office says that central London would see up to an inch of snow, while the home counties could see up to eight inches. The snowfall is set to begin at about 9pm tonight and will continue through most of tomorrow.

"It could be a very difficult commute for people in the morning," said Helen Chivers, a Met Office forecaster.

"Snow is expected to begin falling tonight, and on higher ground will become quite heavy. There will be disruption for a lot of commuters, and we advise people to check weather conditions before travelling, and to allow extra time for their journey."

Snow is expected across most of south-east England, from Hampshire to East Anglia, with the heaviest falls in the Chilterns and North Downs.

The Met Office said drifting snow was also likely on high ground, and issued an early weather warning for the entire south-east area of England — with snow expected as far north as Oxford.

The freezing weather is set to continue over the weekend, with more snow on Saturday evening. Temperatures are expected to drop as low as -5C overnight. Forecasters say the cold snap could last into next week, and said that the chances of a white Christmas were "very finely balanced".

Road and rail chiefs were today on high alert, with fleets of grit and de-icing trucks to avoid a repeat of the travel chaos caused by heavy snowfall in February. Transport for London insisted it was better prepared than at the beginning of the year, when six inches of snow halted all London's 8,000 buses for the first time and all but two Tube lines were suspended. A spokesman said today: "We are in contact with the Met Office and are closely monitoring forecasts."

A London Councils spokesman said: "Boroughs have been working with Transport for London and others to ensure that the lessons from the snow in February have been learned."

Sir Terry Wogan is taking no chances to ensure his final radio show runs smoothly — by staying in London overnight to avoid being stuck in snow. The broadcaster, who bows out tomorrow, revealed his plans to listeners today.