UK weather: Snow and -10C temperatures to sweep across Britain today

7 January 2021, 07:41 | Updated: 7 January 2021, 07:45

it's a very cold start to Thursday morning. Picture: Getty Images/Met Office Twitter

The Met Office has issued even more ice and snow warnings for much of the UK.

It’s time to get out your warmest jumper and make yourself a cup of hot chocolate, because things are getting very chilly.

The Met Office has now issued yellow weather warnings for snow and ice to sweep across the nation throughout today and tomorrow.

Rain, sleet and snow is set to move south across northern England and Wales and temperatures will stay very low, with thick frosts and icy conditions.

After a freezing few days, experts are warning that this will likely cause slippery surfaces and travel disruption across the country this morning.

A cold, #frosty and #icy start for many. A fragmenting band of rain, sleet and #snow will move south across northern parts of the UK during the morning. Otherwise, mostly dry and cold, with sunny spells elsewhere

Stay #WeatherAware pic.twitter.com/p9ZnrG3eKG
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 6, 2021

Snowfall is expected in the north of Scotland today, with 1-2cm depth covering lowland areas, and up to 10cm expected in the hills.

The Environment Agency has also issued four flood warnings on the Isle of Sheppey, Kings Lynn, Peterborough, and by the River Derwent in North Yorkshire.

Overnight, skies will remain clear, meaning bitter temperatures from 0C in London to -10C in the valleys in Wales.

Into tomorrow, there will be even more outbreaks of light rain, snow and sleet affecting parts of England and Wales.

Meanwhile, reports have been circulating that a second ‘Beast from the East’ could be heading for the UK.

Much of the UK has already been hit by snow. Picture: PA Images

This big freeze happens during a meteorological event known as 'sudden stratospheric warming' (SSW) where air high in the atmosphere warms up rapidly, causing cold air to disperse.

In 2018, this led to heavy snowfall and dangerous storms.

A spokesperson for the Met Office told Devon Live: “We’re keeping an eye on the weather patterns and the general feeling is while we will see some incidents from the east, it won’t be much colder than it currently is.

“If we look at the thirty-day forecast it looks like it will stay as it now for a while before getting warmer in the middle of the month before the impact of the SSW will set in and it will return to the cold temperatures we have now as we go into February."

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