UK to be colder than Iceland as big chill returns
BRITAIN is facing one of the coldest weekends of the year as temperatures plunge again to well below freezing.
Lows of minus 5C (23F) are forecast in parts of the country over the coming nights.
A nationwide split brought the coldest temperatures to the South this week but forecasters say the entire country is now set to shiver.
Though milder than the past few days it will be one of the coldest weekends of the year so far with the UK chillier than Sweden, Norway and Iceland.
Yesterday was the first official day of winter and lows of minus 7C were recorded overnight in Monmouthshire, South Wales.
Lucky
It follows a week in which temperatures hit a low of minus 9C – the coldest November day in England and Wales since 2010.
The big freeze led to some unusual frost formations. Amateur photographer Lisa Wood took a picture of rare hair ice in woods near her home in Nairn, near Inverness.
Lisa, 41, said: “I was very lucky to find it because it is extremely rare.
“We had a sharp drop in temperature on Sunday night and you often find it when you don’t see any other frost about.”
Hair ice, also known as ice wool or frost beard, forms on dead wood. It is caused by a fungus called exidiopsis effusa. The action of the fungus enables the ice to form very thin hairs and to keep this shape for hours.
While Britain shivers in sub-zero temperatures this weekend parts of Scandinavia are expected to be milder. Temperatures of minus 2C are forecast in Stockholm, with Olso just touching freezing and a relatively balmy 7C predicted for Iceland.
Met Office forecaster Oli Claydon said: “Over the weekend the cold conditions over the UK remain although it will be slightly milder than of late. We expect overnight lows of between minus 2C and minus 4C in parts or perhaps lower at around minus 5C in exposed spots.
“Saturday night into Sunday is expected to be cold although we probably won’t see the low temperatures we saw during the week because there will be more cloud.”
The cold weather has triggered a betting spree. Ladbrokes is offering 6-1 on December being the coldest on record with 2-1 on a white Christmas in Scotland and 4-1 for snow in London. Spokeswoman Jessica Bridge said: “Winter’s got off to a shivering start and the odds will start to tumble as soon as the mercury does.”
Coral is offering 7-1 on a white Christmas in London with 5-1 on snow in Manchester on the big day and 7-4 that this winter is the coldest ever.
Spokeswoman Nicola McGeady said: “Icy temperatures have led to an avalanche of bets on a winter wonderland this Christmas.”