Allow 30 minutes between stations

As predicted London received its heaviest snowfall in seven years today. We woke this morning to find the neighbourhood under more than 7cms of snow. The ground cover was significantly heavier than two weeks earlier. Heavy flurries continued falling as we left for work. Once again the scene was magical.

It's incredible to see exactly the amount of snow predicted, at the very hour predicted, two days after we'd first been warned. I'm impressed. On Tuesday we had cloudless skies and as late as 10pm last night it was still crystal clear. The science behind each forecast is impressive. The Met Office says it now makes three-day forecasts that are as reliable as its one-day forecasts were in 1980s.

Once again, as predicted, transport chaos was this morning's theme. Swiss Cottage tube station is two stops north of Baker Street, the interchange where I transfer trains. The journey normally takes five minutes. Today, it took 30 minutes.

I knew I was in for an adventure as my escalator reached platform level. A train sat in the station. Its doors were open and every carriage crammed with irritated passengers. A crowd was progressively gathering on the platform. A further eight minutes passed before the waiting train finally departed. The next three trains were a string of sardine cans, to the point that people fell out as the doors were opened.

Finally, twenty minutes after arriving at the station, a train pulled up with empty carriages. However, with so many packed trains ahead, our journey down the line was slow. Upon arriving at the next station we were held at the platform for another five minutes. With the doors open and the train stationary, people continued to pile in, making for yet another sardine can. I was relieved to finally reach Baker Street.

Baker Street was a scene of total chaos. The platform was packed with people from the train to the side walls. To prevent more people from reaching the platform, the downward escalator had been closed off. This closure had its own cascading effect as people waited in the vestibule above. The crowd continued to grow as passengers from other train lines disgorged and discovered their onward journey was delayed.

The tube wasn't the only victim of the weather. One in four regional trains were also delayed. Four out of five London airports were closed. Three motorways were blocked by jack-knifed trucks. More than 2000 schools closed for the day. It's staggering how poorly London copes with snow when places like Munich have semi-permanent cover on the ground. I've never seen Munich's underground rail network falter, or its trams stop running.

Our personal snow adventure continued this afternoon when our cleaner called in a panic. Melting snow on the roof had found its way under the tiles. Water was steadily dripping onto the bed in our bedroom. The leak finally stopped about 9pm this evening. It's no surprise. We'd noticed a small damp patch two months ago and reported it immediately. Sadly nothing was done. We're now being promised a builder will be out to investigate it tomorrow.

Winter life in London certainly has its moments.