UK: Food shelves empty and petrol running out as icy roads make deliveries impossible...

From MailOnline and @the10virgin: 

Petrol forecourts were today running dry and food stores were struggling to replenish their shelves as icy conditions halted deliveries.

‘Critical’ shortages of petrol have been reported by the RMI Petrol Retailers Association, with remote areas being particularly badly affected.

Some fuel stations have also been accused of ‘cashing in’ on the crisis by increasing their prices – with one garage in Surrey putting up the cost of diesel per litre from £1.24 to £1.28 within the past four days. 

The news came as snowfalls eased but temperatures plummeted even further, dropping -20.1C in Scotland and -7C in London and Birmingham overnight. 

There is due to be some respite from the freezing conditions over the weekend.

Temperatures are set to plunge overnight, to a low of minus 7C in Scotland, but tomorrow will see a milder start with highs of between 5C and 8C expected in southern England and 4C in the Midlands and East Anglia.

It will feel colder again on Sunday as daytime temperatures dip slightly again to 2C to 5C in the south and 0C to 4C in northern England and Scotland.

The freezing temperatures make the country colder than Antarctica where the British Antarctic Survey's Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic Peninsula recorded a temperature of 0C.

Fears have also emerged today that the chaos to the transport network could mean thousands of children might not get their toys in time for Christmas.

Thousands of tonnes of toys, games and clothes ordered on the internet and due to be delivered from the Far East are being held in shipping containers as ports into Britain struggles with a backlog