London  - Heavy overnight snowfalls in many parts of Britain Monday paralyzed rush-hour traffic and shut down major airports and schools across the country.

The south-east of Britain was worst affected as forecasters predicted up to 15 centimetres of snowfall Monday.

London's Gatwick airport was closed and one of the runways at Heathrow airport was also shut down, leading to severe delays for passengers.

Motorway traffic came to a virtual halt as overturned lorries blocked lanes.

In London, all bus services were cancelled and nearly all Underground (Tube) lines suspended as schools remained closed and many office workers had no option but to transfer work to home or take a day off. (dpa)