Fears of a rush hour commute to hell on Friday (January 13) morning caused by adverse weather conditions have not been realised... so far.
Freezing conditions and falling snow on Thursday (January 12) evening (see video above) had caused widespread concern that train and Tube line would be hit hard, as well as London’s road.
But Transport for London (TfL) is reporting a good service on all its London Underground lines, with the exception of the District line, which is experiencing delays caused by an earlier signal failure at West Kensington.
TfL train services are said to be running a good service, with the exception of a stretch near Brentwood, where planned work is taking place until late May.
The roads and bus services also appear to be running smoothly.
However, not everyone is happy, with some excited Londoners lamenting the lack of snow on the ground when they woke up.
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Edgware Road station closed
It appears Edgware Road station on the Bakerloo line is currently closed.
TfL says: “This station is closed while we fix an electrical fault.”
The Bakerloo line has also tweeted:
Weather recap
Some snow or sleet could fall in London this morning, but it won’t last long. From late morning conditions will improve to sunny spells as the sleet clears southwards. But its going to cold, with temperatures expecting to reach a high of 3 °C. So stay wrapped up
Disruption at Heathrow
Heathrow Airport is warning that the cold weather could affect its flight schedules, and is asking passengers to check ahead and allow extra time for their journey to the airport/
It has written on its website:
Wintry weather is forecast at Heathrow and across the UK and airlines will be adjusting their schedule as a result. If you are travelling, check the status of your flight with your airline and please allow extra time for your journey to the airport. We apologise for any disruption to your journey.
NHS in the news
The beleaguered NHS service has also been grabbing the headline. First there was the increase of A&E patients at Charing Cross Hospital and A&E waiting times at other west London hospitals.
And who watched the gripping Hospital on BBC2? It focused on the bed shortages in St Mary’s Hospital, and left heartbroken viewers cursing ‘under-funding’ of the service.
Then on Thursday (January 13), we reported that more patients are spending 12 hours or more at west London A&Es.
What else is happening?
It’s not all about the weather this morning.
Elsewhere on getwestlondon, we speak to a British-born Muslim woman who was abused and assaulted on January 6 in an assault police are treating as a racially motivated hate crime.
Is it illegal to throw a snowball?
There’s not much chance you’ll be chucking one right now, but its still a pertinent question. So read here for the answer.
A lucky Friday the 13th - or is it?
It’s Friday the 13th today and as you went to bed last night you may have feared the worst, especially when the snow was chucking it down.
Fast forward to this morning and there’s little snow to see.
But spare a thought for the disappointed school kids (I’ve got two of them on my hands as I type)... and Lisa
A couple of 'minor delays' on the Underground
TfL are reporting a couple of snags on its Tube lines - not related to the weather we hasten to add...
Circle Line: Minor delays clockwise only while we fix a signaling problem at Barbican. Good service in the anti-clockwise direction.
Hammersmith and City Line: Minor delays eastbound only while we fix a signaling problem at Barbican. Good service in the westbound direction.
Minor delays on the District line caused by the signalling problem at West Kensington remain
Flood alert
The Environment Agency has issued a flood alert for the Thames between Putney Bridge and Teddington.
Weather update
I’ll be honest with you guys. I’ve been slack. What you want is a weather update. So here it is.
The Met Office has issued a Yellow warning for ice, so please do be careful out there.
Here’s their forecast for London and the South East region for the day:
Today: Cloudy with periods of sleet or snow, especially further east for a time mid-morning. From late morning conditions will improve to sunny spells as the sleet clears southwards. Staying cold and windy with gales along the Kent coast. Maximum Temperature 3 °C.
Tonight: Most parts dry and clear with a sharp frost as winds ease inland. After midnight cloud is likely to increase a little, perhaps with further light wintry showers. Minimum Temperature -3 °C.
District line delays
As already mentioned, the only issues being reported on the Tube by TfL are delays on the District line, caused by a signal failure at West Kensington. It is currently running with minor delays.
Goooooood morning London!
Thanks for allowing me to get my Robin Williams impression out of the way.
I’m in a good mood today. And if you’re putting on your scarf and gloves and getting ready to take on the Friday morning rush hour, you should be in a good mood too.
And that’s because - for now at least - the roads and public transport are looking quite good.
