The West Country faces a new weather warning with all of England facing an Arctic freeze on Saturday.
A snow and ice warning remains in place for the region today (January 8) while the mercury is now set to stay well below zero into the weekend.
Snow has fallen in parts of the region, including on higher ground in Somerset and Gloucestershire, while Bristol appears to have missed out despite warnings.
Forecasters say the threat of snow and ice remains until 11.59pm today which will be followed by a new widespread warning for ice for the following 11-hours - which spans the breadth of England, from Newcastle in the North East, to the South East and as far as Land’s End to the west.
Several warnings have been in place all week as experts predicted a sudden stratospheric warming (SWW) event over the North Pole this week will increase the odds of a deep freeze over the next fortnight.
This SSW is “potentially the most dangerous kind” according to researchers and is what triggered the 2018 Beast from the East which saw the mercury plummet to -15 in parts of the UK.
'Feels like' temperatures could drop to as low as -5 degrees C for Dunkery Beacon and a slightly milder -4 for Cothelstone, while similar temperatures will be experienced on the Mendips and the Cotswolds.
The Met Office on what to expect today
- Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces
- Probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths
- Some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services
The Met Office on what to expect tomorrow
- Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces
- Probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths
