Met Office Extends Weather Warnings As UK Set For 4 Days Of Snow, Ice & Temperatures of -15°C

The Met Office has extended its snow and ice warnings as over 100 schools have been forced to close today across the UK.

This freezing weather has been blamed on an Arctic blast – a strong and forceful gust of cold air coming from the Arctic.

The Met Office has issued the public with a four-day yellow weather warning from the 15^th-18^th Jan across the UK.

These conditions are predicted to continue in northern areas during the week, with lots of rural areas expected to be affected by the wintery blast.

Met Office Meteorologist Liam Eslick informed the Independent that we could see up to 10cm of snow and that temperatures are anticipated to be about 5 to 6°C lower than usual for this time of year.

Senior Operating Meteorologist Marco Petagna told The Mirror: "-10°C looks quite feasible across some northern areas, it just depends, when we get snow lying potentially temperatures could dip lower than that. Certainly minimums of around -10°C in the week ahead but potentially it could get lower than that in some snow covered hills in the north.

“Some hills could struggle to get above freezing in the next few days, particularly in the north, but even when they do get above, low to mid-single figures at best.”

These forecasts indicate that certain regions in the UK will experience temperatures colder than those in infamously frosty Greenland this week, which is predicted to reach temperatures of -7°C.

Parts of the UK are already experiencing major travel disruptions and school closures as a result of the snowfall, with warnings of potential power cuts due to the cold temperatures and icy conditions.

Some rural communities have also been warned of potentially being cut off by the snow.

According to the BBC, Aberdeen experienced a temperature drop to -6°C overnight on Sunday, accompanied by 7cm of snowfall, where people rushed to social media to share snowy pictures of the winter wonderland.

This morning, further parts of the UK were hit with snow and icy conditions, with over 100 school closures reported in Scotland and dozens in Merseyside. Met Office yellow warnings for snow and ice are in place for Scotland, much of northern England and north Wales throughout Tuesday, while a new warning for ice is also in place in Northern Ireland, from 17:00 to 23:59 GMT.

Despite the snow looking magical, there have been health warnings issued.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, the Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection has explained:

"The temperatures we will see leading into the weekend can rapidly have a serious impact on the health of those over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions as it increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections. It is therefore vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours to ensure they are well prepared for the cold weather next week.”

It should also be made aware that the UKHSA have issued Amber Alerts for cold conditions in the upcoming days. The following areas should take particular care:

• North West of England

• North East of England

• Yorkshire and the Humber

• East of England

• West Midlands

• East Midlands

• South East of England

• South West of England

• London

Make sure you take care travelling this week and stay wrapped up warm!