25/03/2008 04:48:00
Severe weather warnings were issued by the Met Office on Sunday as biting winds and snow showers hit Scotland before continuing through England as far as South East Anglia.
Many Britons were greeted to the first white Easter the UK has seen in ten years The Independent reported. Parts of
North East England, Yorkshire and Staffordshire were among the worst affected with almost four inches of snow in some places.
The weather caused wide spread disruption to travel and motorists were warned not to drive their cars unless absolutely necessary - but millions are still expected to return from their Easter weekend breaks.
A spokesman for the RAC told The Independent:
"Around 16 million people will have set off from Maundy Thursday through to Easter Sunday. Now there's a deadline to be met, so many of these millions will be heading home."
Treacherous conditions in Cumbria caused the police to close the A66 and call in snowploughs while the ambulance service in North West England appealed for members of the public to only dial 999 in an emergency after two of its vehicles had to be rescued from the roads.
The Leeds Bradford airport in Yorkshire also experienced weather related difficulties, with no planes able to take off or land on Easter Sunday.
Meanwhile, three men on an excursion up the 978-metre Scafell Pike in the Lake District had to be rescued after running into problems.
The early Easter holiday means that many travelers may be hurrying back from their breaks this year as families rush to get their children back in time for school - whatever the weather.