LONDON — A coating of snow and ice on Sunday upended travel in Britain and put increased pressure on the country’s energy supplies, already under strain from a prolonged cold snap.
The winter weather intensified on Sunday as a foggy afternoon turned into a snowy evening across much of the country, with a few inches of snow in places continuing into early Monday. Temperatures in parts of Britain, especially in London and other areas in the south, are not often cold enough for snow, making each infrequent occurrence a delight for the eyes but a headache for transit.
But the past week has seen plenty of snow-ready frigid temperatures, with more expected in the week ahead.
As snow dusted the country on Sunday, flights were canceled from London to Glasgow, with some airports, including Gatwick and Stansted in London, briefly closing their runways on Sunday night to clear snow. The delays continued into Monday as airlines worked through backlogs of canceled flights amid continued freezing weather.
Some rail lines also reported weather-related delays.
The Met Office warned that fallen snow and icy patches would continue to create hazardous conditions for drivers and cyclists in parts of southern England, including London, into Tuesday. Further north, in parts of Scotland and northern England, travel disruptions are likely to continue into Thursday.
In Solihull, outside Birmingham, on Sunday, three boys, aged 8, 10 and 11, died after falling into an icy lake, the West Midlands Police said on Monday. A fourth boy, 6, remains in critical condition in a hospital, the police said.
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An investigation is continuing to determine “exactly what happened and if anyone else fell into the water,” the police said.
Britain had already endured a week of frigid temperatures, with more below-freezing lows expected. A Level 3 cold weather alert is in place for much of England until Friday. The authorities have advised people to check in on vulnerable friends and family to ensure they have access to warm food and drinks and are able to heat their homes.
The extended cold streak has put extra stress on energy supplies. The National Grid, which operates Britain’s electricity system, warmed up two contingency coal plants to “give the public confidence in Monday’s energy supply,” it said in a statement. It said it would not necessarily use the extra units, but that they were available if needed.
In Britain, snow is on the ground for an average of 15.6 days per year, according to the Met Office.
Karl and Liz Tazzyman, who live in Sheffield, England, more than 150 miles north of London, were out observing the snow around Central London early Monday morning.
“Yesterday we were on Oxford Street when it started snowing and it was really exciting,” said Ms. Tazzyman, 38. “It was just lovely and Christmassy and everybody was excited about it.”
Mr. Tazzyman, 42, was equally aware that the cold snap blanketing much of Britain this week could cause financial problems for many.
“There’s a lot of families who will have a very, very hard Christmas,” he said. “It’s heat or eat. For some people it’s one or the other, they can’t pick both.”
John Stean, a plumbing and heating engineer who lives outside of London, said he saw some 200 abandoned cars on the highway on Sunday night as he drove back to Essex from Suffolk. The drive, which usually takes two hours, took about five hours because of the snow, he said.
“It’s nice to look at from your window, but to drive about in, this county is not made for it. People just don’t have the experience,” said Mr. Stean, who canceled one of his outside installation jobs on Monday because of the ice and snow.
“I think I’ll give that a miss for today and do it when the weather warms up,” he said. “No amount of money is worth risking going up scaffolding.”
Derrick Bryson Taylor and Jenny Gross contributed reporting from London.
