New arctic blast to bring coldest day of the year so far with temperatures set to plunge to -4C
4 March 2023, 18:10
The Met Office has issued new warnings for snow and ice as Britain faces a new arctic blast and the coldest weather of the year so far.
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Temperatures in parts of England and Scotland will fall to minus-4 degrees C on Monday.
It will be the coldest day of the year in the north-east of England and eastern Scotland.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a cold weather alert and placed north-east England, north-west England and Yorkshire under a level three alert.
That means there's a nine-out-of-ten chance of severely cold weather, icy conditions or heavy snow.
That could increase the health risk to vulnerable patients, the NHS said
The rest of England is at the less severe level two.
All areas are under alert between 1am on Monday and midnight on Thursday.
Senior meteorologist Craig Snell said: “Going into next week we do see a bit of a change with even colder air coming through and then an increase in risk of sudden disruption due to some sleet, snow and some ice.
“So at the moment, the main focus is across northern and eastern parts of the UK where we have issued warnings already for Monday and Tuesday for the risk of some snow showers moving in from the north.
“Highest accumulations will be across the high ground. But even at lower levels, we are likely to see some disruption in places as the showers come through.”
The rest of the weekend is set to be calm with some showers expected in parts of Scotland and eastern England.
Cold weather alert issued as freezing temperatures due next week
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, 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 18C if you can.”
It comes ten days after the Met Office warned about colder weather at the end of February.
A long-range forecast from the Met for Tuesday February 28 to Thursday March 9 reads: "Brisk winds expected in southern areas, with the risk of a few wintry showers. Northern areas will see more mild conditions."
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