Advertisement

UK To Shiver As Sub-Zero Temperatures Bite

The Met Office has issued a cold weather alert for much of the UK, with warnings of plummeting temperatures, snow and ice.

The northeast and northwest England, as well as Yorkshire and the Humber, could see temperatures fall as low as -8C this weekend.

Hilly areas above 656ft (200m) could see 2cm to 4cm of snow, with places expected to be hit including Devon, the Chilterns, the Cotswolds, and Wales.

Cumbria and the Lake District may get 10cm to 15cm of snow in areas above 984ft (300m).

Sky News weather producer Rebecca Yussuf said: "It will turn much colder across the UK and Ireland over the next few days, with the return of widespread sharp frosts by night.

"Temperatures over the snowfields in Scotland will fall to lows of -8C (18F), whilst southern England and Wales will see lows of -4C (25F).

"There’ll be a widespread frost each night, with icy stretches forming on untreated surfaces.

"Most places will also see a drop in day-time temperatures, with parts of Scotland remaining sub-zero over the weekend and into the first part of next week."

Dr Angie Bone, of Public Health England's extreme events team, urged people to help vulnerable relatives and friends keep warm.

"Cold does kill, even in places where the temperatures aren't at their lowest. Most of our advice on keeping warm in cold weather may seem like common sense, but it's important that we make the point that people should think about how cold can affect them.

"Our advice is that when indoors, have plenty of warm food and drinks to stay warm and try to maintain indoor temperatures to at least 18C, particularly if you are not mobile, have long-term illness or are 65 or over."

Age UK urged older people to "take basic precautions" and called on the Government to "commit to improving the energy efficiency of homes across the country" in a bid to end preventable winter deaths.

The warnings come after a van driver died when a tree fell on top of his vehicle in Co Antrim and a three-year-old child and an elderly woman were among three injured when a pallet was blown from a lorry in east Belfast during strong winds.

Winds of 101mph were reported in Great Dunsell, Cumbria - the highest in the UK - while other exposed areas also saw speeds of above 70mph.

The strong winds caused disruption on railways in Kent and Birmingham, and part of Glasgow city centre was closed off after metal sheeting fell from the roof of a hotel.

Snow up to 5ft deep in parts of Scotland left drivers stranded overnight on the A9 route to the Highlands and saw trains cancelled between Perth and Inverness.