Bookmakers have slashed the odds on a white Christmas as a 'snow bomb' continues to batter the UK, bringing heavy snow and strong winds. The Met Office has warned of life-threatening conditions, with up to eight inches of snow expected in some areas and around three inches elsewhere across England and Wales.
The severe weather has caused widespread travel disruption, including cancelled flights and trains, 50-mile tailbacks, and numerous crashes. On Sunday, Luton Airport temporarily closed its runway for about an hour, suspending all flights. One passenger, Claire Hughes, described being stuck on a plane for three hours before her flight to Jerusalem was cancelled, leaving hundreds of passengers seeking information in the terminal.
Ladbrokes has cut the odds of any part of the UK seeing snow on Christmas Day to 5/6, the shortest in a decade. The firm has also halved the odds of snow falling every day until the new year from 100/1 to 50/1. Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: 'The snow is falling thick and fast and plenty will fancy it to stick around for the rest of the year, so we've been left with no option but to slash odds of exactly that happening.'
Forecasters had previously warned that this winter could be one of the coldest and snowiest in many years. Sunday's snowstorm caused widespread chaos, with 11 inches of snow recorded in Sennybridge, Wales, and almost five inches in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Drivers were advised to avoid unnecessary travel as the storm led to serious crashes and brought some motorways to a standstill.
