Britain descended into wintry chaos again yesterday as snow caused hundreds more school closures and mayhem on the roads.

Snow settled in south Wales, western England, the Midlands, counties to the north of London, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

In similar scenes to Monday’s weather, which stopped millions getting to work, airports, railways and roads were hit hard yesterday.

At Luton Airport, morning flights were cancelled and check-in suspended, but by 12.30pm it reopened – although the airport said flights remained subject to delays or cancellation.

Planes were also unable to land and take off from Belfast City airport, Robin Hood International Airport, near Doncaster, and Aberdeen.

East Midlands Airport said it reopened its runway at 10.25am after cancelling 13 departing flights and 13 arrivals, while Birmingham Airport remained open with temporary runway closures.

The railways endured a fourth successive day of disruption. Passengers were warned they faced disrupted train services in several areas, including Wales, the Midlands, the South West and Yorkshire.

The Highways Agency repeated its warnings for drivers to take extra care, particularly on the M4 and M5 in Wiltshire, where driving conditions were dangerous.

A deluge of snow in central Birmingham closed one lane on the A38 Aston Expressway, a busy main route into the city centre.

Junction 19 of the M1 in Leicestershire was also temporarily closed to stop traffic entering the A14 southbound because of the road’s hazardous condition.

Scotland recorded between six and eight inches of snow, closing many roads and fallen trees also blocked routes.

In Wales, the worst-hit area was Powys, where all 120 primary and secondary schools were shut.

Some councils said they were now using salt only on major routes, and Britain’s biggest salt supplier, Cheshire-based Salt Union, said staff were working round the clock but still could not meet demand.

Two teenage girls remained in hospital yesterday after a sledging accident in the Rother Valley Country Park, Rotherham, on Tuesday claimed the life of Francesca Anobile, 16.