Brace for coldest day of the year so far: Freezing temperatures feeling as low as -4C

Britain will see its coldest day of the year so far on Monday as snow blankets parts of the country, sending many back into the closet for their winter clothes.

Temperatures will drop overnight, with the Met Office issuing a yellow weather warning for snow and ice for much of Scotland and the North East of England from midnight.

Snow and ice are forecast in northern England and Scotland on Monday and Tuesday and it will be noticeably cooler than usual for the start of spring.

Freezing Artic air means it will feel as cold as -4C in places and the chance of snow in the south is highest after Tuesday.

A Met Office yellow alert is also in effect for Tuesday and the UK Health Security Agency has also issued a cold weather alert between 1am this evening and midnight on Thursday.

The cold weather can cause power outages and travel interruptions in places where it snows.

Some rural communities could be cut off by the extreme weather and the UK Health Security Agency reminded people to look after the vulnerable.

The cold weather alert starts early Monday and lasts until midnight Thursday.

The North East of England, the North West of England and Yorkshire are all under level three alert, with the rest of the country remaining on level two.

A level three alert means there is a 90 per cent chance of severe cold weather, icy conditions or heavy snow, which could increase the health risk for vulnerable patients, the NHS said.

The agency said if a person is over 65 or has a pre-existing medical condition, they should try to heat their home to at least 18C during the cold snap.

Dr. Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: ‘During periods like this it is important to check in with family, friends and relatives who may be more vulnerable to the cold weather as it can have serious consequences. influence on health.

“If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it’s important to try to heat your home to at least 18C if possible.”

For those concerned about the cost of heating their home, the agency recommends heating the living room during the day and the bedroom just before you go to sleep.

Temperatures are likely to remain well below March averages for the next week, according to the Met Office.

Senior meteorologist Craig Snell said: ‘As we go into next week we see a bit of a change with even colder air coming through and then a greater risk of sudden disruptions due to some sleet, snow and some ice.

So at the moment the main focus is in the northern and eastern parts of the UK where we have already issued warnings for snowfall from the north before Monday and Tuesday.

“The highest accumulations will be over the high ground. But even at lower levels, we’re likely to see some disruption as the showers pass through.”

Mr Snell said the Met Office yellow alerts, in effect throughout Monday and Tuesday, are unlikely to change.

He added: ‘Scotland and some eastern parts of England have warnings throughout Monday and Tuesday. In other parts of the country we are keeping a close eye on it, there is a chance we could see some snow further south as we get through the next week a bit.

“There is still some uncertainty about where that snow will be because at the same time we will see milder air trying to come in from the Atlantic.

“So in some places it can rain well and in other places it can snow well.”

Guidelines for staying warm include wearing several thin layers of clothing, which will keep you warmer than one thick layer.

Drinking hot drinks, such as tea, coffee, or hot chocolate, and eating hot foods can help raise body temperature.

The severe weather, resulting from an Artic Maritime Airmass sweeping over the UK, comes after a drier than usual February.

The UK received just 45 per cent of the month’s average rainfall, with 43.4mm of rain in February making it the driest in 30 years.