‘Unusually dry snow’ to bring days of chaos
BRITAIN is braced for four days of weather chaos this week as “unusually dry snow” is whipped up into blizzards by bitterly cold gales, the Met Office has warned.
Severe weather warnings were extended to cover most of the country by Wednesday, with biting winds leaving some areas feeling colder than the Arctic Circle at a bone-chilling 5F (-15C).
Forecasters cautioned that heavy snowfall of up to eight inches could bring down power lines, causing mobile and terrestrial phone services to fail as the so-called “Beast from the East” weather system arrives in the UK.
Tomorrow morning is likely to see the worst of the weather, with an amber warning issued in the Midlands and south-east England, just one level below the most severe red alert. Yellow warnings are also currently in place for today, Wednesday and Thursday.
Motorists were warned they could be stranded in vehicles after snow begins to fall from around 2pm today. Major disruption is also expected on the rail network and at airports while rural communities were advised they could be cut off.
Public Health England (PHE) urged people to stock up on food and medication, and if venturing outside to wear non-slip shoes and keep phones charged in case they need to contact the emergency services.
Charlie Powell, a Met Office meteorologist, said: “We don’t want to scare people, but people should make sure they are prepared for some seriously
cold weather. By Thursday evening, there are growing signs there could be some significant snowfall across southern England.
“Unusually for Britain, the snow is going to be quite dry, so it will blow around and gather in drifts and we could see some blizzard conditions.
“Winds are then going to strengthen and we could see some easterly gales through the eastern Channel and East Anglia by the middle of the week.
“That’s going to make it feel really cold – daytime temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday will be struggling to get above freezing for most of the country.”
The forecaster said that by the end of Wednesday, more than 8in (20cm) of snow may have accumulated in some parts of eastern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Lows of 23F (-5C) recorded over the weekend marked the lowest temperature in the week leading up to March 1, the first day of spring, since 1986.
The wind chill, which could see parts of the UK feeling as cold as 5F (-15C), rivals the temperatures forecast for parts of northern Norway and Iceland, inside the Arctic Circle.
PHE issued health warnings, advising householders to keep indoor temperatures at a minimum of 64F (18C) and asking people to check on over65s, young children and people with lung or heart conditions.
Dr Thomas Waite, of PHE’S extreme events and health protection team, said: “Remember to check weather forecasts and plan the day around them. If you have to go out, dress warmly and wear non-slip shoes.
“Also be sure to tell someone where you’re going and an expected time when you will return. If you have a mobile phone, try to carry this with you, charged, so you can contact someone in case of an emergency.
“Keep your home heated to at least 18C, wear lots of thin layers, eat regular warm meals and remember that moving about will help keep you warm.”
The Local Government Association said councils were prepared for the weather with 1.5 million tons of salt stockpiled across the country. But they urged people to check on neighbours.