Newborn lambs and UK butterflies suffering the most in Britain's unseasonal cold snap

As Britain shivers in the continuing unseasonal chill this month, it isn't just people who are suffering in the sub-zero temperatures.

The start of spring is normally a celebration of new life, with new-born lambs appearing as the weather brightens and the days lengthen.

But this year, many lambs are struggling to make it past their first few days, with huge numbers simply unable to survive due to the biting sub-zero chill.

Farmer have told of a 'desperate' situation caused by the ongoing freezing weather.

Damp soil, which causes bacterial disease, is depriving ewes of the nutrients needed to feed their young.

Ewes are also struggling to get to grass to feed in the first place, and the high price of grain from last year's washout summer has put a heavy financial burden on farmers.

Sheep farmer Malcolm Roberts said he expected to lose up to 17% of lambs born this spring due to the weather - a huge increase on the usual figure of between 4 and 5%.

He told the BBC: "We're having to bring in extra feed for them, but it's a struggle to get sheep to come over to the troughs, and also with the high price of grain because of the terrible wet year we had last year, we just can't afford for this to continue."

The National Farmers' Union said the unseasonal snow was putting an 'extraordinary strain' on the industry.

NFU Vice President Adam Quinney said: "These are unusual conditions and are totally out of character for the time of year. Farmers are resilient and are working around the clock to look after the welfare of their animals.

"It has put an extraordinary strain on the industry after what has been a torrid 12 months of extreme weather, compounded by the fact that many farmers' sheep are lambing at the moment.

"Sheep are adapted to living outside but it is unusual to be lambing in this weather and we do expect to see some losses in areas hardest hit by the weather. I've talked to families where everyone is out all day and night just trying to get feed out there.

"The work that's going on is incredible and farmers are just exhausted, but they are continuing to work hard to ensure that as much that can be done is being done in these unprecedented circumstances."

And it isn't just lambs whose numbers are being hit hard by the ongoing freeze.

The UK's butterfly population, which was already dwindling even before the recent cold snap, has now slumped so low that some British species are nearing extinction.

Following the wettest year on record in 2012, several species were left in danger of dying out completely.

Scientists say it's possible there have never been fewer butterflies in Britain since it was first inhabited by humans, according to the Guardian.

the high brown fritillary, Britain's most endangered butterfly, saw its numbers fall by 46% last year, while the black hairstreak, another rare species, fell by a staggering 98%.

Of 56 butterfly species monitored, 52 saw numbers decline from the previous year, with 13 experiencing their worst year in records dating back to 1976 as the insects struggled to mate and find food and shelter in the washout summer.

Threatened species were already experiencing long-term declines before the deluges of 2012 and wildlife experts are now warning struggling butterflies could become extinct in some areas of the UK as a result of the weather.