by Parts of Britain are facing a week of heavy snow with temperatures dropping below freezing for most of the country.
The Met Office has issued five yellow snow and ice warnings across Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England, parts of Wales and eastern England as an “Arctic chill” is expected to bring up to 20cm of snow.
Temperatures are expected to be around 5 to 6C below normal for this time of year – with the Met Office warning that the blizzard will wreak havoc on travel plans, trigger power cuts and reduce even rural communities.
All warnings are expected to expire by 11.59pm on Thursday.
Snow has already started to fall in northern Scotland, with Aberdeen residents sharing pictures of their snow-covered streets on Monday morning.
Up to 10cm of snow is expected to fall in a few hours in some low-lying areas, with 2-5cm of snow seen in most places.
The wintry showers started on Sunday night and are expected to continue to affect many areas until Thursday night, with the heaviest showers sweeping across northern Scotland on Wednesday and Thursday, where 20cm could fall snow is gathering in some places.
Norfolk and Suffolk will also see significant snowfall on Monday, particularly near the coast. This weather is expected to affect travel and injuries due to ice slides.
Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, snow looks set to affect roads and railways on Monday and Tuesday mornings.
On Wednesday, heavy and frequent snow showers are expected to return to northern areas of the region, with 5cm of snow expected in many places.
In England, snow will sweep across northern England, Wales and even as far south as the Midlands on Tuesday.
Regions including Manchester, Newcastle and Derbyshire will see snow showers on Tuesday morning which the Met Office warns could cut off some rural communities and trigger power cuts across the country.
Disturbed snow is expected to continue into Wednesday and Thursday in some of these areas including Yorkshire, the Midlands, Wales, northern Scotland and North West England.
“Snow showers are more likely from Sunday to move inland from coasts exposed to northerly winds,” explained the Met Office’s deputy chief meteorologist, Chris Bulmer.
He added: “There are a couple of weather systems for Tuesday and Wednesday that we’re keeping an eye on which could bring some disturbed snow in some regions.
“With cold air firmly in place, any weather systems that move across the country next week will bring snowfall mainly inland. Models are currently showing various options for both systems and we will be able to add more details in the coming days.”
The mercury dropped to -10.4C in Aviemore, near Inverness, on Wednesday and it is expected that it will be difficult for the temperature to go above 0C across much of the country last week.
Highs of 3C are predicted for Glasgow, 4C in Manchester and 7C in London. South Wales is expected to be the hottest part of the country, with highs of 8C in the Cardiff region. Temperatures will then drop to -1C or -2C in most urban areas overnight on Monday.
On Thursday and Friday, forecasters say it will remain “very cold” and there could be a serious frost overnight.
The sub-zero temperatures have prompted the UK’s Health Security Agency to issue a Cold Health Alert which highlights the significant impact the weather has on health and social care.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: “The temperatures we will see ahead of the weekend can quickly have a serious impact on the health of people over 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 neighbors to ensure they are well prepared for the cold weather next week.”
Towards the end of the week, a transition back to less chilly conditions is likely as Atlantic weather systems begin to approach from the west.
This will return to unsettled conditions with spells of rain and strong winds across all areas at times, forecasters say.
