Thousands of drivers were stranded, most of them with dead batteries, the Daily Mail reported. The Royal Automobile Club and AA reported calls for assistance at levels they had not seen for five years.

An AA spokesman warned drivers to dress warmly in case of breakdowns.

More than 8 percent of the workforce was estimated to have taken Monday off, many of them because of weather-related commuting difficulties.

The cold snap also triggered additional payments for elderly pensioners for heating assistance. In the London area, about 600,000 people are eligible for the aid for the first time in 10 years, the BBC said.

Temperatures dropped below freezing for most of the country, the Mail said. The coldest spot in England was in the southern part of the country -- 14 degrees at Farnborough in Hampshire, a spot where the normal temperature is 50 degrees.

Forecasters said the cold weather is expected to endure through Sunday.