UK chilly climate forecast: Britain going through brutal -20C Polar blast | Weather | News | EUROtoday

The UK faces the coldest night time this winter on Thursday with the mercury set to plunge as little as -20C (-4F) whereas reeling from snow, blizzards, ice and floods.

Freezing floodwater within the Midlands noticed a hazard to life warning in pressure with extra icy rain, sleet and snow set to comb in and trigger extra journey disruption.

Shocking photographs throughout the UK present contrasting climate chaos – with vehicles frozen the place they have been deserted within the Peak District whereas houses have been flooded out by gushing water in Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire.

Tuesday noticed extra roads, rails and runways shut with extra chaos looming because of a brand new Met Office yellow warning for ice for the Midlands till noon Wednesday – including to a few others for ice and snow for the north of England, Scotland and the south coast.

But the UK has additionally been warned to brace for the largest winter chill in 4 years with Wednesday and Thursday nights set to see the temperature plunge into minus double figures – sparking well being issues for Britain’s weak.

BBC climate forecaster Simon King defined: “With clearing skies and lighter winds on Wednesday night, temperatures will drop quite rapidly below freezing.

“Across most elements of the UK there will probably be a tough frost with minimal temperatures getting down between -3C and -10C broadly.

“Where there is still snow cover, it could be as cold as -14C to -16C, making Wednesday the coldest night of winter so far.

“Over the Pennines and the snow fields of Scotland, we predict minimal temperatures to be -16C to -20 C.

“The last time the UK recorded a temperature that low was on 11 February 2021, when the temperature at Braemar in Aberdeenshire fell to -23C.

“While flooding and additional wintry showers proceed to have an effect on elements of the United Kingdom, the chilly snap will proceed till the top of this week.

“The cold Arctic air that is currently across the UK will stick around for the rest of the week bringing some of the coldest weather of the winter so far.

“While widespread and exhausting frosts are seemingly in a single day, daytime temperatures will keep nicely beneath common for this time of 12 months.”

On Tuesday evening, 106 flood warnings had been issued, meaning flooding is expected, and 202 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, were active across England.

A danger to life warning has been issued for the River Soar near Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, where people living in caravan parks have been urged by the Environment Agency to act now, with a large-scale evacuation required to save lives.

Meanwhile amber health alerts from the UK Health Security Agency across England are valid until midday on Sunday.

Parts of the UK woke up to a fresh covering of snow on Tuesday, especially around northern Scotland, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, the West Country and parts of southern England.

Meanwhile, the heavy rain from Sunday and Monday is still bringing some flooding, particularly in Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.

Neil Monteith, 49, who owns a caravan on the front row of the Proctors Pleasure Park, near Barrow upon Soar in Leicestershire, said: “The water is the very best I’ve seen it, I’ve by no means seen it this unhealthy earlier than.”

A woman who lives near the Proctors Pleasure Park and did not wish to be named said: “They put in new flood defences – it used to flood on a regular basis then it stopped, however that is unprecedented.

“It’s a flood plain, that’s what it’s for, but they build houses on it and nobody will acknowledge it or accept it.”

It comes because the Environment Agency estimated that throughout England no less than 300 properties have flooded since New Year’s Eve.

In North Yorkshire, police mentioned the physique of a person had been recovered on Monday from an space of flooding in Beal, close to Eggborough and Knottingley.

The variety of flood warnings ought to begin to lower with no additional rainfall anticipated in these areas affected within the coming days.

By Wednesday, a climate system operating by the English Channel brings the chance of some rain, sleet and snow throughout southern England.

Worryingly, there at the moment are 4 yellow climate warnings in place throughout the UK on Wednesday.

In North and west Scotland, a yellow snow and ice warning has been in place will final till noon Wednesday, which is predicted to result in some journey disruption – whereas throughout Northern Ireland a yellow snow and ice warning can be anticipated to finish on Midday Wednesday.

East and west Midlands, north-west England, Wales and Yorkshire have been slapped with a yellow ice warning, additionally till noon Wednesday, with icy stretches resulting in “some impacts to transport”, the Met Office says.

While in London, south east and south west England a yellow snow warning begins at 9am Wednesday till midnight says there’s a “small chance” of energy cuts, of rural communities changing into lower off and journey delays.

Already a whole lot of faculties anticipated to open for Spring time period have been closed throughout the UK on Tuesday, with Bradford City Council saying 184 have been shut in its space, in addition to greater than a dozen in Lancashire and eight in Northern Ireland.

Road and rail hyperlinks have been closed together with the A1 in Lincolnshire – which is closed between the B6326 close to Newark-on-Trent and the B1174 close to Grantham, in line with National Highways.

And Great Western Railway mentioned flooding has closed the road between Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall.

Manchester, Bristol and Liverpool John Lennon airports have been pressured to droop flights earlier on Tuesday due to the circumstances.

It comes because the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) known as for the Government to take motion to arrange hearth and rescue companies for flood response following widespread flooding.

Unlike the remainder of the UK, hearth and rescue companies in England wouldn’t have a statutory obligation to reply to flooding, which means that central Government doesn’t present safe funding for nationwide flood resilience and response, the FBU mentioned.

The FBU wrote to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in November, calling for “the UK to be made resilient to flooding with a statutory duty and investment”.