Cold weather warnings have been issued as an icy front moves down from the north of England, with plunging temperatures potentially set to cause hazardous driving conditions.
Much of the UK saw New Year’s Day downpours, but the rain will give way to a frosty start to the year as temperatures fall below zero as far south as the Chiltern Hills, where sleet and snow are possible.
Temperatures are set to drop to their lowest point so far this winter, with forecasters predicting a possible -7C (19.4F) in Wales and the Scottish Highlands.
Sophie Yeomans, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “We’ve got a cold front across the south of the country. The rain should clear, but moving in behind that we have a lot of cold air coming from the north. It’s going to be very frosty at night and temperatures will drop below zero.”
A level two warning has been issued, which lasts until 3pm on Tuesday. Yeomans said: “Cold weather alerts are given to let people know it’s going to be quite cold and they should put the heating on.
“There is also a yellow warning for across the north, Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland, which is to warn people about ice that could cause hazardous conditions on the roads.”
The lowest temperature for the UK at this time of year was -18.5C, recorded in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, in 1962.
The weather is set to warm up slightly later in the week, but Yeomans said temperatures were only likely to rise by a couple of degrees.
Public Health England also issued warnings about the upcoming cold spell. People were advised to turn their heating on, keep an eye on elderly neighbours and stay tuned to weather forecasts.
Dr Thomas Waite of PHE’s extreme events team said: “Every winter thousands of people die because of their exposure to cold weather, and doctors’ surgeries, hospitals and other parts of the NHS are kept busy as people fall ill.
“That’s why it’s really important that we all do everything we can to ensure everyone stays well this winter. The elderly, very young and those with pre-existing health conditions are most at risk during cold weather.
“Keeping homes heated to at least 18C is a great way to avoid the health problems from cold, as is stocking up on food and medicine before cold weather sets in and wearing lots of thin layers, instead of fewer thick ones.”
