Arctic blast brings back snow
BRITAIN is braced for winter to roar back next week bringing freezing gales from the Arctic.
Temperatures are set to plunge from today with parts of the country experiencing lows of -11C (12F).
A bitter blast will bring widespread snow from midweek with blizzards sweeping in from the North Pole.
Early predictions are that the latest deluge will hit the North hardest – but there could also be snow in parts of the South.
Forecasters say drifts a foot deep in remote areas will cause problems on the roads as Britain endures a repeat of the recent big freeze.
The Met Office said yesterday parts of the UK could wake up to the first snowfall as early as this morning.
Forecaster Dan Williams said: “There is snow expected in Scotland and there may well be some down the east coast. Saturday is going to feel colder with temperatures close to freezing with northerly winds. Next week there will be some wintry showers from the Midlands northwards.”
Jonathan Powell, forecaster for Vantage Weather Services, said the most severe blast would arrive on Tuesday. “From Saturday we are back to severe frosts and it is going to be very, very cold across the UK,” he said. “We are looking at another blast from the Arctic on Monday with some snow before the full brunt of it on Tuesday. Worst hit is going to be the North although the whole country is likely to get another deluge of snow with lows of -11C possible, this is the picture for the rest of the week.”
Forecasters said last month’s big freeze was the worst winter snap for two years.
This week’s milder weather has seen melting snow and heavy rain lead to floods across the country.
Many homes have been under water and roads have turned into rivers with parts of the South-west worst hit.