Snow is expected to return to Britain next week as the country braces itself for a ‘prolonged’ cold snap that will bring a sub-zero chill.
Bitterly cold winds from Siberia will whip the east of the UK as overnight temperatures plummet to as cold as -7C (19F) in the Scottish Highlands.
The Big Freeze is expected to last at least until mid-March, and will bring with it the chance of snow, especially across the south of the country.
Forecasters say the icy weather has been caused by a ‘sudden stratospheric warming’ meteorological event which has disturbed the jet stream – allowing chilly winds from Eastern Europe to blast the UK.
It comes after yesterday was the warmest day of the month so far with a high of 14.2C (58F) recorded in Cardiff, although the mildest day of the year so far was January 28 when Cambridgeshire got to 15.1C (59F).
Snow is expected to return to Britain next week as the country braces itself for a ‘prolonged’ cold snap that will bring a sub-zero chill (file image)
A weather forecast from the BBC showing the cold winds whipping their way from Siberia, across Russia, and towards Britain
Bitterly cold winds from Siberia will whip the east of the UK as overnight temperatures plummet to as cold as -7C (19F) in the Scottish Highlands. The Russian air could bring snow to the likes of London (right)
Daytime highs in London are expected to be 10C (50F) today, 9C (48F) today 7C (45F) on Thursday, and 6C (43F) on Friday. Saturday will return to 7C (45F) before Sunday brings 5C (41F) and Monday 4C (39F).
Met Office forecaster Oli Claydon said yesterday’s highs will be short lived as temperatures will ‘slowly ramp down through the week’ after a huge rise in air temperature in an area around 18 miles (30km) above the North Pole.
He added: ‘There is a very big, very cold pool of air that circulates around the North Pole – sudden stratospheric warming, as it says on the tin, is when the stratosphere suddenly warms.
‘Last week we saw that take place – a sudden jump of around 50C – so that can disturb the way that cold pool of air moves around the North Pole very high up.
The Met Office’s forecast for Britain this week is pictured, with many areas having schoolchildren on their half-term holidays
‘That can lead in around 70 per cent of instances to it impacting the drivers that affect our weather in northern Europe as well. So what we are seeing in this case is it disturbing the jet stream and weakening the jet stream.’
Predicting what would happen as of Sunday, the Met Office predicted: ‘Sunday will be dry but cold for many, with some sunny spells.
‘Snow showers may develop across eastern and southern areas where fresh winds will make it feel bitterly cold.
‘Through next week it is likely to become even colder with strong easterly winds, bringing an increasing threat of snow showers.
‘These will be heaviest and most frequent in central and eastern areas, and some spells of more prolonged snow are possible at times, particularly in the east but also perhaps in parts of the south and southwest.
‘The cold weather will continue through the rest of the period, with the northwest seeing the best of any brighter weather, and here it may be less cold at times, although brisk winds will continue to bring a marked wind chill.’
At the beginning of March, it is expected to remain cold with more unsettled weather expected towards the end of the month.
The most significant risk of snow is thought to be in the earlier stages of the month, across southern, eastern and central parts of the country.
From the middle of this week Mr Claydon said the weather shift will allow an easterly breeze to establish and bring cold air towards Britain, with it feeling close to freezing in some parts.
‘As that high pressure builds an easterly flow will start to develop and we will start getting an easterly wind and cold air moving in from Eastern Europe by the time we get to the weekend,’ he said.
Mr Claydon said sudden stratospheric warming and its impact on British weather is ‘not a yearly occurrence but is not unheard of’, and last impacted the UK in 2013 and 2009.
‘These colder conditions are expected to last into next week and could be fairly prolonged, and could still be with us into the beginning of March,’ he said.
The Met Office also said there could be some frosty nights, and warned that into next week even colder air from Russia could move across the country.
But the forecasters said that although the risk of snow is very low this week, due to the dry nature of the air, this could change after the weekend.
Dr Thomas Waite, of Public Health England’s extreme events team, urged people to check on friends, family and neighbours during the cold snap, and to make sure their homes are heated to at least 18C.
He said: ‘With the days feeling a little longer and lighter it can be easy to forget that cold weather can still kill.
‘Over 65s, those with conditions like heart and lung diseases and young children, are all at particular risk in cold weather as their bodies struggle to cope when temperatures fall.’