Parts of Britain could be colder than the Russian city of St Petersburg this week as northerly winds bring a blast of winter over the coming days.
Widespread frost and snowfall is on the way, following on from icy mornings that affected much of the country at the weekend – and by tomorrow night, temperatures could hit -2C (28F) in London and in the outer suburbs.
The following night could get even colder with -4C (25F) in many parts of England and Wales. Meanwhile on snow-covered mountains in Scotland, the temperature could fall to -10C (14F), and -5C (23F) or -6C (21F) in the glens.
The figures compare with a low of -8C (18F) forecast for the same night in Rovaniemi, Lapland, just south of the Arctic Circle, and 2C (36F) in Reykjavik, Iceland. St Petersburg is only expected to fall to 0C (32F) this week.
The Met Office has issued an ice warning for northern Scotland from 6pm tonight until 10am tomorrow, adding that wintry showers could be a further hazard with up to 2cm (0.8in) of snow on ground above 650ft (200m).
A snow shower hit Tyneside this morning as temperatures in parts of Britain continue to dip below freezing overnight
Pedestrians take care as they walk along slippery streets in Tyneside this morning after the area was hit by a snow shower
Motorists struggle to make it through the slippery conditions on the roads in Tyneside today following snowfall
Commuters walk through Westminster on a cold and wet morning today after temperatures fell to freezing overnight
Commuters wrap up warm as they walk through London this morning – with temperatures set to fall further this week
This follows on from temperatures in the region falling to -3C (27F) overnight. Grahame Madge, a spokesman for the Met Office, said: ‘Thursday is likely to be the coldest night of the week.
‘However, the -10C temperature is an exceptional figure and is likely only over packed snow in the mountains. It will be less cold in the glens and further south in England and Wales.’
The chilliest temperature recorded across the country, including Scotland, so far this autumn has been -6.3C (20.7F) at Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, early on Saturday.
Snow has already been predicted for North East England on Thursday, including up to 4in (10cm) on the North York Moors and as much as 0.5in (1cm) at lower levels.
More isolated showers, some wintry, are expected regularly over the coming days – particularly near coastal areas including further south in England and Wales. Forecasters say the chill is due to a cold northerly air flow.
Mr Madge said: ‘Looking at Wednesday and Thursday, the daytime highs will be 5C (41F) or 6C (43F) in London, and about 4C (39F) in Newcastle. It could be a little bit warmer than that if there’s more cloud.
Temperatures will feel close to zero in some areas of Britain today (left), but they will actually be a few degrees higher (right)
Temperatures fell to -3C in northern England last night (left), and the Met Office has issued an ice warning for tomorrow (right)
‘Overnight, we could see quite a lot of places within touching distance of freezing, so Wednesday night and into Thursday it could be -2C (28F) in North London and -1C (30F) in Bristol.’
The current cold polar air is being fed into the British Isles due to a high pressure area to the West. Mr Madge said: ‘It will be feeding in wintry showers so in the northern half of Britain we’re likely to see snow, hail and sleet.’
It is likely only Northern Ireland will escape the sub-zero temperatures. Public Health England (PHE) has issued warnings to stay wrapped up and keep an eye on neighbours during the cold spell.
Dr Thomas Waite, of PHE’s extreme events team, said: ‘As the weather is going to get colder everywhere in the coming days, this is a really good time to check on those who may be at-risk.
‘People with diseases such as heart and lung conditions, older people and young children can feel the ill-effects of cold weather more than the rest of us.
‘To stay well this winter we all need to play a part. Is there someone you know who could be at risk when the weather gets cold? Could you help them out by fetching shopping or prescriptions?
Sunrise over London this morning as seen from Waterloo Bridge, with Canary Wharf visible in the distance
Deer and stags in the morning light at the World Heritage Site of Studley Royal, near Ripon in North Yorkshire today
Two of the 500 deer, pictured today, which can be found at the 800-acre Studley Royal deer park in North Yorkshire
Red deer, fallow deer and Manchurian Sika deer can all be found at Studley Royal, which is pictured in the morning light today
‘When the colder weather arrives there are several things we can do to keep well, wear several thin layers instead of fewer thicker ones, keep parts of the home you’re using heated to at least 18C (64F) and keep a careful eye on the weather forecasts.’
The Met Office said colder-than-average conditions are due to last as long as ten days, until midweek next week – with a brief milder interlude followed by a second cold spell from mid-December towards Christmas.
But Mr Madge stressed: ‘It’s not entirely unusual to experience this kind of weather at the end of November. Winters have been milder in recent years but we are within touching distance of December.’
While daytime temperatures over the coming days will remain similar to the 3 to 6C (37 to 43F) that most of Britain felt at the weekend, blustery polar winds could make it feel a bitter -1C to -2C (30F to 28F).
The Met Office said this week’s temperatures are unlikely to fall as low as some nights in November last year, when -12.1C (10.2F) was recorded at Braemar on November 21 and -8C (17.6F) at Edenbridge in Kent on November 30.