Brits are facing a -8C freeze with warnings of ice and snow over the coming days.
Low pressure is moving in from Scandinavia bringing the wintry temperatures which appear set to remain as we head into December. It means that there will be widespread frosts and the mercury isn’t expected to rise much above freezing even during the daytime in some parts of the UK.
The Met Office states: “There is the chance of widespread overnight frosts for much of the UK in the coming days and a risk of snow to northern Scotland and parts of northeast England. With the UK sitting in cold air from northern Scandinavia the weather is turning much colder for the rest of this week and the start of next week with daytime temperatures struggling to get above single figures and overnight temperatures staying below freezing for much of the country.”
There are ice and snow yellow warnings from the Met Office that run until Thursday for northern and central Scotland as well as north eastern England, with people being advised of “hazardous conditions”. While BBC forecaster Darren Bett said that temperatures are colder than normal for the time of year and frost will start developing early in the evening today in northern areas.
He said: “With that colder air across the north we have a few wintry showers moving down across Scotland and into the northeast of England. Further south across England and Wales there will be more cloud developing some light showers heading down towards the southwest where temperatures should remain above freezing because of that cloud. But elsewhere you are looking at a more widespread frost it could be as low as -7C or -8C in some parts of Scotland.”
Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Neil Armstrong said that while it will be cold it is likely that the south of England will avoid the snow. “There has been some uncertainty in the atmospheric weather patterns for the coming days, however, confidence in the forecast is improving and there is a reducing chance of snow for southern areas of the UK, although there is still a chance we may see some sleety wintry showers over higher ground in areas such as Dartmoor or Exmoor," he said.
“Northern and northeastern areas of the UK in the moist north / northeasterly airflow continue to see a chance of snow or sleet and yellow snow and ice National Severe Weather Warnings have been issued.” The Met Office added that the "cold regime looks likely to continue into next week, with a good deal of dry sunny weather for many. However, showers remain possible, particularly in eastern coastal areas, and these could be wintry at times".
The UKHSA has also issued yellow and amber cold-health alerts for the health sector covering northern regions of England through until December 5. But there is unlikely to be a build up of snow on the ground, says the Met Office, as in late autumn or early winter it doesn’t generally linger because ground temperatures broadly remain relatively high, especially compared with values in late winter, after the ground loses more of its warmth.