As the country was plunged into one of its worst winters for decades, the Met Office issued an emergency weather warning for all counties of the UK.

自英国遭遇十年来最恶劣气候的冬季以来，气象部门向不列颠全国各郡发出紧急气象预警。


Forecasters predicted that more than one foot of snow could fall in less than 24 hours in most southern areas leading to widespread chaos and disruption for millions.

气象预报估计在未来24小时内，英国南部大部分地区将会有超过一英尺（约30厘米）的降雪，恐会给超过一百万人造成不便和慌乱。


The Met Office claimed the amount of snow forecast could be the biggest single fall since the notorious winter of 1962-63, when some areas of the country were blighted by snow and ice for more than three months.

气象部门称今年的降雪是自1962-1963年的大雪后最为恶劣的一次。某些地区将会超过3个月被大雪覆盖。


The spokesman said: "This kind of warning is very rare. It's the level of alert we put out for the floods in the Summer of 2007."

发言人称：“此类预警很不寻常。这等于07年夏天洪水时我们发布的警告级别。”


More than 1,000 schools were closed across Scotland, the north of England and Wales.

在苏格兰、英格兰北部和威尔士地区有超过1000所学校停课。


Elsewhere supermarkets reported a surge in panic-buying as shoppers tied to stockpile food supplies.

其他地区的超市里，群众为了抢购储存食物一团慌乱。