UK weather: Met Office warns of snow and ice as temperatures plunge to -7C with five-day cold health alert issued

THE MET Office has warned of snowfall and icy conditions arsenic temperatures plummeted to -7C amid a five-day acold upwind warning.

Overnight, temperatures fell to arsenic debased arsenic -7.2C successful parts of the UK, with the acold weather expected to linger implicit overmuch of the weekend.

This comes arsenic yellow acold wellness alerts were issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for a fig of areas crossed England from 9am connected Friday until 9am connected Tuesday.

Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said contiguous that the upwind would crook "cloudier" and "much colder" for overmuch of the UK.

He said a acold easterly breeze is acceptable to bring overmuch unreality for parts of England and Wales, portion adding determination are already immoderate showers crossed the southbound eastbound of England.

Tom said: "Falling is simply a substance of rain, sleet, and possibly snow successful places, peculiarly implicit the higher ground."

However, further northbound the upwind volition beryllium acold much "glorious", arsenic bluish and occidental parts of Scotland are acceptable to person ample amounts of sunshine.

Moving aboriginal into the afternoon, the beardown eastbound breeze is acceptable to marque "feels like" temperatures driblet adjacent further, perchance arsenic debased arsenic -2C successful places astatine astir 4pm.

Heading into tonight, Tom said determination is an ongoing accidental of "some wintry showers" oregon "longer spells of rain, sleet and snow" crossed immoderate cardinal and confederate areas of the UK.

He said a fewer centimetres of snowfall could settee by Saturday greeting crossed higher ground, particularly successful parts of Wales.

Temperatures are past expected to consciousness somewhat warmer connected Saturday than today, though unreality volition apt beryllium wide crossed the UK, with Scotland having the champion of the sunshine.

While temperatures whitethorn consciousness a flimsy respite implicit the mediate of the weekend, colder conditions are expected heading into Monday.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Paul Gundersen, said: “While immoderate areas volition spot showers oregon immoderate patchy rainfall connected Friday and done the weekend, determination volition beryllium the imaginable for immoderate sleet oregon snowfall arsenic temperatures drop, mostly implicit higher crushed successful cardinal and confederate areas.

"The acold volition beryllium accentuated astatine times by brisk easterly winds.

“There volition beryllium variable, and astatine times ample amounts of unreality implicit the coming days with the clearest and sunniest upwind crossed the northwest of the UK."

He continued: "There volition besides beryllium icy patches and overnight frost successful places.

"Whilst, for most, the upwind is not expected to beryllium disruptive, support an oculus connected the Met Office website for immoderate National Severe Weather Warnings.”

The UKHSA has issued 4 yellowish acold wellness alerts for the North East, North West, South East, and Yorkshire and The Humber.

This means these areas are apt to spot an accrued usage of healthcare services by susceptible radical arsenic good arsenic a greater hazard to beingness for these groups.

The warnings are successful spot from 9am connected Friday until 9am connected Tuesday, February 11.

Stephen Dixon, spokesperson for the Met Office, said: “What we’re seeing with the UK’s upwind implicit the adjacent fewer days is the power of precocious unit and the improvement of southbound easterly aerial travel which volition spot temperatures driblet for many.

“We could spot temperatures driblet arsenic debased arsenic minus 7C successful agrarian parts of Scotland from Friday into the weekend.

“Further southbound we’re inactive apt to spot done the play sub-zero temperatures."

He added: "Rural parts of confederate Wales could scope minus 4C from Friday overnight into the weekend.”

Stephen said it would beryllium a “cold period” but not “historically noteworthy”.

Day-time temperatures volition beryllium “slightly below” the mean maximum for February which is 7C, helium said.

He continued: “February has started warmer than average, truthful it’s going to beryllium a instrumentality to much emblematic February averages, albeit a spot colder.

“From Friday, there’s a accidental of immoderate snowfall drifting successful to parts of the southbound of England and southbound Wales, however, this is comparatively short-lived, it’s not expected to beryllium impactful astatine the moment.”