THE Met Office has issued an urgent weather warning amid fears SIX HOURS of snow could cause traffic chaos.
A band of rain is forecast to move eastwards across the country tomorrow, bringing with it wintry showers.
Between tomorrow and Friday there could be up to six hours of snowfall as Britain is ravaged by snow blizzards, gale force winds and widespread ice, with temperatures plummeting to as low as -3C.
Meteorologist Richard Miles said: "It’s going to be colder than we have been used to over the last couple of days and Christmas. We are going into a period when temperatures will be dropping quite a bit."
Read our weather live blog for the latest news and forecasts
- Louis Allwood
Cold weather payments
Here is the full list of postcodes that qualify for the payments.
Aviemore
- AB37
- IV13
- PH19-26
Braemar
- AB35-36
- PH10-11
- PH18
Aboyne
- AB30-34
- AB38
- AB51-55
- DD8-9
Loch Glascarnoch
- IV4
- IV6
- IV7
- IV14
- IV16
- IV23-24
- IV63
You might need an extra cover tonight
It could be the coldest night of the winter so far tonight as a -12C bone chiller hits Britain.
Temperatures will plunge to bitterly cold levels before a fresh band of snow and sleet sweeps across the UK.
Forecasters have warned the mercury could drop as low as -12C in central Scotland overnight, and stay well below zero in other parts of the country.
It will also be Baltic elsewhere, with temperatures hovering around -6C in Preston, -5C in Stafford, and -4C in Oxford, according to weather charts.
Anything below -10C will see it beat the frosty temperatures recorded in November 2021, making it the coldest night of the season so far.
The crisp conditions will continue into tomorrow, with a further three warnings in force for snow and ice.
Rough waves
Thursday afternoon will see Northern Ireland face rough seas and large waves as the day progresses.
The strong winds and high tides will accumulate around the east coast.
- Louis Allwood
Today to Friday forecast
Blustery wintry showers early in the far northeast.
Elsewhere, fine after a widespread frost.
Rain, with hill snow in the north, Thursday, clearing to wintry showers later and into Friday.
- Louis Allwood
Cardiff with have very cold temps tonight
Dry with clear skies this evening and overnight.
As the breeze falls light, temperatures will fall sharply with a widespread frost and isolated shallow fog patches developing by morning.
Minimum temperature -5 °C.
- Louis Allwood
London could be freezing tonight
A dry and largely clear night with only small amounts of cloud.
Winds becoming light and feeling cold, with a widespread frost by dawn.
Possibly some freezing fog patches developing later in the night. Minimum temperature -2 °C.
- Milica Cosic
How to stay warm when outside
With the weather getting chillier and frostier, you’ll want to wrap up warm.
Here are some good tips for staying all snugly and cosy when outdoors:
- Prewarm your clothes.
- Invest in some quality thermals.
- Fleece leggings.
- Hand warmers.
- Cover every inch of skin.
- Eat fatty foods.
- Thermal flask.
- Keep moving.
- Keep hydrated.
- Keep your head covered.
- Tactical scarf-wearing – including keeping your nose and mouth covered
- Milica Cosic
'Snowbomb’ to blast Britain
A ‘SNOWBOMB’ will hit Britain in January – with a whopping 11ins set to fall as a new Atlantic storm moves in.
Winter will bite back in the weeks to come after what’s likely to be the warmest New Year’s Eve on record today.
As we near the middle of January, it’ll snow heavily again – with more than 10ins predicted in the north.
Newcastle and Northumberland are likely to face white-out by midnight on January 12, WX Charts predicts.
Parts of Scotland – particularly in the Highlands – will also face up to five inches as the mercury plunges below zero.
- Milica Cosic
Some sun this afternoon
The Met Office have said it's going to be a fairly sunny afternoon in most parts of the country.
However, there's some patchy cloud around too – and some snow over the Scottish Highlands and across the Pennines.
- Milica Cosic
Snow showers likely on Friday
Met Office meteorologist Claire Nasir said: "Across much of the country through Wednesday we're bathed in cold air.
"As we head through Wednesday evening, with clearer skies and a lighter breeze, we will see temperatures fall very quickly so expect a widespread frost.
"Temperatures will be plummeting to around -4C in England and Wales and -10C on snowfields across Scotland.
"Eventually a ridge of high pressure will extend across so we'll see a fairly hard frost into Thursday morning before milder air moves in from the Atlantic with a band of cloud and rain.
"As the rain encounters the colder air, it will turn to snow. Colder behind as well so snow showers are likely through Friday too."
- Milica Cosic
Coldest night of the year TONIGHT
TONIGHT could be the coldest night of the winter so far as a -12C bone chiller hits Britain.
Temperatures will plunge to bitterly cold levels before a fresh band of snow and sleet sweeps across the UK.
Forecasters have warned the mercury could drop as low as -12C in central Scotland overnight, and stay well below zero in other parts of the country.
It will also be Baltic elsewhere, with temperatures hovering around -6C in Preston, -5C in Stafford, and -4C in Oxford, according to weather charts.
Anything below -10C will see it beat the frosty temperatures recorded in November 2021, making it the coldest night of the season so far.
The crisp conditions will continue into tomorrow, with a further three warnings in force for snow and ice.
- Milica Cosic
Three tips to know before driving in snow and ice
Driving expert Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, has some useful advice.
He said drivers must take it slow and leave plenty of space for the car ahead in case they skid off the road.
And with motorways expected to be busier than ever as Brits rush to celebrate a family Christmas for the first time in two years, staying out of danger is extremely important.
Here are Jack’s top tips:
- Make space, it’s not a race
- Slow and steady
- Beware of ‘black ice’
Make your car visible in poor winter weather
You can be fined up to £1,000 for failing to switch your car lights on when you’re driving.
Make sure they’re all working before you set out on your journey, and turn them on if you have to get out to clear snow.
If you use fog lights, remember to switch them off when visibility improves so they don’t dazzle other drivers or obscure your brake lights.
A three-day forecast
Make sure you're weather aware before you step outside, as it's going to get chillier and chillier.
TODAY (WEDNESDAY): High: 8C Overnight low: -6C Sunny spells, wintry showers in west
TOMORROW (THURSDAY): High: 10C Overnight low: -2C Rain and hill snow moving east, followed by wintry showers
FRIDAY: High: 8C Overnight low: -4C Sunny spells, wintry showers
endsMercury could fall to as low as -10C
Temperatures are set to plunge within the next couple of weeks – potentially causing travel chaos.
The mercury could fall to as low as -10C.
Coral, the bookies, now has January at 6-4 to be the coldest on record.
The firm go 2-1 for this winter to be the chilliest ever in the UK.
Coral's John Hill said: "We've enjoyed some unseasonable mild temperatures over the last few days but that is set to come to a crashing end later this week.
"With snow and freezing temperatures on their way, we have slashed the odds in half on this month ending as a record cold January."
- Milica Cosic
Brits to see a new weather front from the Atlantic
Forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: "It's quite a contrast compared to the record breaking New Year's we've just seen.
"We've seen a big drop off in temperatures and it's going to stay like that for most of the week.
"It's well below the January average of 6C.
"We're going to see wintry showers, mainly down the western edge of the country but we could also see some in the east.
"On Thursday a new weather front from the Atlantic will move eastwards bringing with it rain and hill snow.
"It'll affect the north and west, parts of the Lake District and Wales, but we could also see some flurries further south."
- Milica Cosic
Wintry showers to lash Britain
Wintry showers are forecast as temperatures plummet across the country.
The mercury fell to a bone-chilling -5.6C last night, before drivers braved the nation's icy roads for the first day back at work this morning.
Dog walkers in Consett, County Durham, woke to a winter wonderland whilst others shivered in the cold as they scraped ice off their windshields.
Bookies have slashed the odds on this January being the coldest ever, with more snow on its way.
The Met Office has warned of more than 2in of snow falling by Thursday.
- Milica Cosic
UK weather outlook for Friday and Saturday
Sunny spells on Friday, staying dry to the east.
Risk of showers for Wales, western England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, turning wintry, especially to the north. A moderate westerly breeze.
Unsettled for all on Saturday with rain for much of the day. Sunshine and showers in the late afternoon.
- Milica Cosic
Tomorrow's weather forecast
Early sunshine for south-east England but cloudy for most as a band of rain moves in from the west in the morning for Northern Ireland and western parts, turning wintry for Scotland.
Rain will push into eastern parts through the afternoon.
Light showers in the evening.
A moderate south-westerly wind.
- Milica Cosic
Tonight's weather
A clear night for most, especially for eastern parts of the country, and it will remain dry, turning misty for southern England.
For western parts, cloud will gradually build through the night, and rain will move into Northern Ireland in the early hours of the morning.
A gentle south-westerly breeze.
- Milica Cosic
Coldest January on record in the UK
Leading bookmaker Coral has slashed the odds to 6-4 (from 3-1) for this month to end as the coldest January on record in the UK, as the latest forecasts point to falling temperatures from Wednesday.
The firm go 2-1 for this winter to be the coldest ever in the UK.
“We’ve enjoyed some unseasonable mild temperatures over the last few days but that is set to come to a crashing end later this week. With snow and freezing temperatures on their way, we have slashed the odds in half on this month ending as a record cold January,” said Coral’s John Hill.
- Milica Cosic
Weather outlook for Thursday to Saturday
Frosty to start Thursday, becoming milder with strong winds and rain, snow over high ground in North.
Colder on Friday with blustery wintry showers.
Milder Saturday with outbreaks of rain.
- Milica Cosic
Frequent showers and strong winds until today in Scotland
Tuesday started with “showers, accompanied by strong winds” and these conditions will last till Wednesday.
The weather warning states: “Frequent snow showers and gusts to severe gale force are expected on Tuesday, leading to travel disruption, particularly for higher routes.
“In combination with winds gusting 50 to 60mph, perhaps 70mph on exposed summits, temporary blizzard conditions and some drifting of snow on higher-level routes is likely.
“Gusts of around 70mph on exposed coasts will generate some large waves and dangerous coastal conditions in a few places.”
The rest of the UK will have sunny spells and showers but it will be particularly windy and cold in the northern parts of the country.
- Milica Cosic
Wednesday's weather
Today will be a fine and mostly sunny day, especially for England but it will be cloudier for western Scotland and Northern Ireland.
A small chance of catching a shower in northern Scotland and the west coast of Wales, falling as snow over Scotland.
A chilly day, with fresh north-westerly winds
- Milica Cosic
This week will be feeling colder for all
Met Office forecasters warned: “Cold northerly air dives south across the whole of the UK with brisk winds.
“It’s feeling colder for all, especially in the wind.”
In the capital, temperatures will plummet by 10C, from 16C at the weekend to just 6C today.
Meteorologist Simon Partridge said we’re facing a “shock to the system” as the chilly winds make it feel as cold as -2C.
“It will definitely be colder, so if you’re going out, think about an extra layer,” he said.
“You might need anything to keep the wind out because it’s not going to be pretty.”
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