Manchester airport reopens runways as cold weather disruption continues

Coldest temperature of the year so far recorded near Inverness as snow and ice affect large parts of UK

Manchester airport closed its two runways for about two hours on Thursday morning as forecasters warned of widespread disruption across the UK because of snow and ice.

The airport announced the closure at 6.20am, blaming heavy snow. At 8.43am it said the runways had been cleared and thanked passengers for their patience.