Commuters in London were left baffled this week after a rail company blamed delays in its network on "strong sunlight" during winter, reported AFP. Southeastern railway company said that the glare from the low angle of the winter sun "made it impossible for some drivers to see the full length of their train in their mirrors before leaving stations".

While delays due to snow or rain are common in the United Kingdom, many responded to this new reason with humour and disbelief. "Train delayed due to sunlight!" wrote Twitter user Zuzanna Sojka, telling the train company: "I admire your creativity!" Paul Malyon called it "the weakest excuse ever", while others asked whether trains might next be delayed due to "too many clouds" or "moonlight".

Britain experienced just a few hours of sunlight on Tuesday, and temperatures between -2.3 and 8.6 degrees Celsius according to the Met Office.