Temperatures to plunge amid 756-mile-long snow and ice warning
Projected temperatures will feel as low as -9C in some parts of the UK today, as an Arctic plume of air sweeps through the country.
The Met Office has issued a series of yellow weather warnings every day until Thursday at midnight as forecasters predict a 756 mile-long stretch of snow, sleet and ice which will hit Scotland and the North West the hardest. But in a new forecast revealing UK-wide projections for Monday, meteorologists said temperatures will feel far below zero all the way down to the south coast.
Warnings came into place on Sunday affecting Scotland, but stretch down the Cumbria and Lancashire coast, hitting North Wales and across the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland, from Tuesday. Forecasters have warned of snow and ice, which could lead to the possibility of travel disruption and potential power cuts on Monday for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland. A larger weather warning for snow and ice affects Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland, Wales and most of northern England on Tuesday.
Parts of northern Scotland could see around 10cm of snow over the next two days, the Met Office warns. Northern Ireland could also see up to 5cm of snow on higher ground on Monday, with a yellow warning in place from 3am until the end of the day. Honor Criswick, a meteorologist for the Met Office, said: "It is going to be feeling pretty chilly in the north of Scotland.
"Throughout the week we are going to see more and more snow showers and warnings, towards the end of the week we will probably see an accumulation. The warning is of 2cm to 5cm of snow, throughout the week there is the possibility we will see a build up of snow. The top temperature for Aberdeen is 2C on Sunday but it will probably feel cooler. Snow showers will be moving inland throughout the course of the day."
Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts
Temperatures will feel as cold at -9C in the Shetland and Orkney Islands (Met Office)
This map shows the places subject to Tuesday's extensive weather warning (Met Office)Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency has now issued amber-level Cold-Health Alerts for every region in England. Elderly and vulnerable people are urged to stay somewhere warm, with the alerts in place until Friday. The extreme weather means that UK council will also need to open emergency accommodation for rough sleepers under the government's Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP).
Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: "The temperatures we will see leading into the week ahead can rapidly have a serious impact on the health of those over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions as it increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections. It is therefore vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours to ensure they are well prepared for the cold weather next week."
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