Snow lashes Britain as maps show where UK will be hit by -10C blizzards

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Snow lashes Britain as maps show where UK will be hit by -10C blizzards

SNOW showers blanketed northern England this morning as Britain braces for a freezing -10C polar blast in the coming days.

Britain is preparing to wrap up warm amid warnings temperatures could plunge lower than Iceland by the end of the week.

Temperatures are expected to dive as low as -10C in parts of the UK, several degree cooler than Reykjavík, Iceland, where the mercury will reach high single figures.

Arctic winds drifting towards the UK are forecast to bring bitter winds, frosty roads and heavy snowfall on higher ground.

Bone-chilling pictures taken this morning show snow has already fallen in Gateshead, Tyneside, as brutally cold conditions gripped the nation.

The Met Office issued a yellow alert weather warning this morning as motorists struggled in tricky driving conditions on the roads during rush hour.

From tomorrow, the wintry weather is forecast to become more widespread, with snow, hail and sleet at lower levels up and down the country.

Latest weather models show snow is likely to fall in Scotland overnight before spreading further south to north-east England and north Wales by Wednesday afternoon.

By Thursday morning weather charts predict that snow could engulf the entire east coast of the UK and parts of London.

Spokesman Grahame Madge said: “A mixture of Polar and Arctic air will come down from the south from Tuesday bringing increasingly colder conditions to the UK.

“This northerly flow will encourage wintry showers along the coasts with snow coming down to lower levels, further inland and across the moors we could see snow with hail or sleet elsewhere.

“It is going to stay cold through the week with temperatures dropping below freezing quite widely bringing frosts and icy roads in the mornings.

“We could see overnight lows of -8C or -9C with -10C possible where there is lying snow over high ground in the north.”

The Met Office and Public Health England have issued cold weather warning telling people to wear warm clothes and take care on the roads.

A warning read: “Colder air will gradually spread south during Monday and Tuesday, with overnight frosts becoming more widespread, along with a brisk northerly breeze.

“A period of more widespread cold temperatures is then expected from Wednesday onward, whilst showers down the east coast are also expected to be wintry at times with some snow and ice possible.

“Prolonged periods of cold weather can be dangerous, especially for the very young, very old or those with chronic diseases.”

Looking further ahead, the cold snap is expected to last around three weeks until December 15 – just days before Christmas, according to the Met Office.

Forecasters said a “cold northerly airstream” until mid-December means low-level snow will be most likely in the east and north-east.

Britain may see the coldest December since 2010’s Big Freeze seven years ago, said The Weather Company.