FLIGHTS from Southend were grounded, a host of schools stayed closed and there were lengthy delays and queues on the roads as the snowy aftermath continued to affect south Essex yesterday.

Maybe the strangest weather-affected incident of the day saw a window blown from the first floor of a restaurant in Southend.

Onlookers couldn’t quite believe their eyes as severe winds saw the pane of glass fall from Barts Bar. 

A witness to the incident said: “I was just driving past when there was a big gust of wind and this window on the first floor started to fall.

“It fell about 25ft onto the ground and smashed.

“The window was about 6ft by 3ft.

“It was early, about 9.30am so there weren’t many people about but it could have killed someone.

“The other windows looked like they were shaking in the wind.”

Meanwhile, Laindon Park Primary and Nursery, in Basildon, The King Edward School, in Rochford, and The Billericay School and The Ramsden Hall Academy, in Basildon, all closed their doors for the day due to safety concerns about staff and pupils travelling to and from sites.

Although the worst of the snow had cleared by Monday morning, the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice in Essex between 3pm yesterday and 11am today.

Between two and five centimetres of snow was due to fall yesterday so drivers and pedestrians were warned of icy stretches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.

Drivers may well have been advised to avoid the roads on Monday, as minor delays began to turn into long stretches of queues.

The A13 London-bound entry slip road at the Orsett Cock Interchange remained closed throughout the day due to a large amount of water on the road.

Chelmsford’s Army and Navy flyover was closed for the majority of the day due to the presence of snow and ice on the flyover.

The A130 experienced long queues throughout the day after a broken down vehicle blocked a lane. It wasn’t just roads affected, with both London Stansted and Southend Airport forced to cancel flights, warning flyers to check ahead before travelling to the airport.

A spokesman for Southend Airport said yesterday: “We are experiencing a number of delays and cancellations again today (Monday).

“This is as a result of the poor weather.

“Please check with your airline and our flight info page for the latest status of your flight.”

While Stansted issued a similar message, calling on flyers to leave extra time for travel.