London to get snow this week, says Met Office, as Arctic blast makes Brits shiver in freezing temperatures

7 March 2023, 08:23 | Updated: 7 March 2023, 12:01

Londoners are set to get a flurry of snow this week, as the band of unseasonably cold weather continues to sweep across the UK.

People in parts of Scotland, north-eastern England, and East Anglia as far south as Suffolk were blanketed in snow overnight on Monday, with ice and snow warnings extending down past London.

The Met Office forecast on Tuesday morning that the south of England and Wales is likely to be hit with 1-3cm of snow throughout, with local patches of snow reaching 5-10cm deep.

Icy weather is forecast for central and southern England and Wales this week.

It comes after Scotland and parts of northern and eastern England had snow showers overnight.

The temperature could be set to plunge as low as -15C in parts of the country, as the UK shivers through its coldest night of the year tonight.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist Dan Suri said: “Snow, ice and low temperatures are the main themes of this week’s forecast, as the UK comes under the influence of an arctic maritime airmass as cold air moves in from the north.

“Snow is already falling in parts of the north where some travel disruption likely, as well as a chance of some rural communities being cut off. Snow showers will continue through today and Tuesday here, and Northern Ireland will also be subject to some snow showers, especially over high ground.

“Ice will provide an additional hazard for many with overnight low temperatures well below 0°C for many. Further south wintry hazards will develop with parts of England and Wales affected by icy patches and snow in places tonight and likely further snow in parts of the south early Wednesday.”

The mercury will drop as far as -3 or -4C in southern England and Wales, and -10C in the north. The Scottish Highlands will see temperatures hit a low of -15C.

Yellow weather warnings are in place for London, the Thames Valley, East Anglia, parts of the Midlands, south Wales and Northern Ireland until 10am on Tuesday.

The inclement weather has sparked fears of travel disruption on the road and rail networks.

The Met Office said that the ice and snow would lead to difficult travel conditions in places

They said that some roads and railways were likely to be affected by the weather, leading to longer journey times by road, bus and train services, and warned that there could be some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.

Forecasters added that there would probably be some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.

The sudden stratospheric warning (SSW) driving this cold and icy weather is the same phenomenon that was linked to the major snowstorms and sub-zero temperatures of February and March 2018 - known as 'The Beast from the East'.

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The UK health security agency has also warned that the cold weather could be dangerous, especially for vulnerable and older people.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, the agency's head of extreme events and health protection, said: "During periods like this, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may be more vulnerable to the cold weather, as it can have a serious impact on health.

"If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat your home to at least 18°C if you can."