Wrap up ... here come 5 days of wind and snow

After the battering of Storm Arwen

STRONG winds and up to five days of snow are set to batter Britain as thousands of households enter a second week without power after Storm Arwen.

Forecasters say temperatures will plummet this week, with the wind chill in some areas seeing the mercury fall to minus 11C (12.2F).

There are concerns for the thousands of people in the North and Scotland still without power eight days after Arwen caused massive damage to parts of the energy grid.

The Energy Networks Association said 9,200 homes were still without power on Friday evening, with 6,650 in the North East, 1,300 in the North West and 1,250 in Scotland.

The latest forecasts are for five consecutive days of snow from last night, falling largely on higher ground in the North and Scotland.

The areas most affected include the North Yorkshire Moors and the East, while strong winds and torrential sleet and rain are also predicted for the North West over the next 24 hours. The South and West will not been be spared, with parts of West London and Hereford plunging to minus 2C on Friday.

Last night, Met Office meteorologist Steve Keats said: ‘It’s going to feel not much above freezing for quite a lot of places.’ About 300 soldiers are going door-to-door to check on vulnerable people affected by Arwen and offer support.

Regulator Ofgem announced on Friday that it had launched an urgent review into the response of energy networks because of the long delays in restoring power. It has also agreed to lift the £700 cap on compensation.

Chief executive Jonathan Brearley told the BBC: ‘We are deeply concerned about customers who, for over a week, have been without power. We want to establish the facts and make sure we understand what has happened – whether the network companies have met their obligations.

‘If they haven’t, we will take enforcement action.’