And now it’s turning polar in Britain, too

I’ve spotted a bite of lunch down there ... and I’m going in!

A blAst of Arctic air is set to sweep across the country bringing frost and snow – and the cold snap could be with us for a month, forecasters say.

temperatures are expected to plunge across scotland in the wake of a weather front bringing rain to many areas today.

Daytime temperatures are due to fall from highs of 7-8C (4445F) today to a chillier 5C (41F) by tomorrow. Areas of frost are forecast from tonight.

snow is expected over northern hills and wintry showers are likely in parts of the Highlands and eastern scotland.

Met Office forecaster bonnie Diamond said cold air will come in from the North Atlantic initially but by tomorrow the wind will change, coming directly from the Arctic. Average daytime temperatures will struggle to get above 6C (43F). While this is average for the time of year, Miss Diamond said the contrast after such a mild January will have people reaching for warm coats and thermals: ‘We’re going to really feel the switch to colder temperatures.’ the Met Office said there are signs cold air from the east could make its way to the UK until the end of the month and into February.

but this does not automatically mean the return of last February’s beast from the East which brought heavy snow.

Miss Diamond stressed: ‘Just because the wind is coming from the east does not necessarily mean we are going to see a repeat of last year.’

the Met Office predicts ‘cold conditions are likely to remain for the rest of January’.

A ‘cold but changeable’ outlook remains likely until midFebruary, forecasters add, with ‘spells of strong winds and rain, turning to snow at times’.

DINNER can be hard to come by if you live in the windswept Arctic wastes.So when this polar bear peered into an ice hole and spotted a tasty morsel, he didn’t hesitate.Paws together, he gave a fair impression of Tom Daley and plunged after his prey – most likely a seal or fish. And by the end of the dive, all that remained visible were his hind legs poking in the air.The pictures were taken off the east coast of Spitsbergen in Norway for Richard Sale and Per Michelsen’s new book, The Arctic.