THE NEW YEAR RECEIVED A CHILLY WELCOME AS IT ARRIVED IN BRITAIN AMIDST SNOWSTORMS, BLIZZARDS AND GENERAL TRANSPORT CHAOS WHILE TEMPERATURES DIPPED TO THEIR LOWEST FOR YEARS.

LONDON BECAME A CITY OF WHITE AS THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALLS RECORDED IN TWENTY-ONE YEARS SMOTHERED IT IN A THREE INCH BLANKET.THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO APPEARED TO APPRECIATE THE CONDITIONS WERE CHILDREN ON TOBOGGANS AND SMALL GROUPS OF SKIERS WHO TRIED THEIR SKILL ON THE SLOPES OF HAMPSTEAD HEATH AND OTHER SUBURBAN PARKS.

FOR TRAVELLERS THE BIG FREEZE MEANT ACUTE DISCOMFORT AS ICE AND SNOWDRIFTS BLOCKED RAIL LINES, CLOSED STATIONS, DISRUPTED SCHEDULES, STRANDED BUSES AND LEFT MANY ROADS IMPASSABLE.

NEW YEAR'S EVE WAS THE COLDEST NIGHT IN CENTRAL LONDON SINCE 1956, A FRIGID 24 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

AT LONDON AIRPORT, IN A TEMPERATURE OF NINE DEGREES, RELAY TEAMS WORKED DAY AND NIGHT TO KEEP THE MAIN RUNWAYS OPEN AND CLEAR ICE FROM AIRCRAFT.BUT ALL FLIGHTS IN AND OUT WERE CANCELLED OR POSTPONED INDEFINITELY, STRANDING THOUSANDS OF PASSENGERS.

DETERRED BY THE ICY ROAD SURFACES, FEW MOTORISTS VENTURED OUT AND TRAFFIC WAS COMPARATIVELY LIGHT.