Carry on shivering...Britain is colder than Arctic
SUB-ZERO Britain is colder than the Arctic as Russian winds and snow are set to keep the country shivering into March.
The biting North-easterly gusts are forecast to freeze the UK again, with temperatures set to drop as low as -11C (12F) as one of the coldest winters in recent years shows no sign of thawing.
As snow and sleet hit parts of the country over the weekend, icy winds saw temperatures hover around freezing, making most of Britain chillier than Hammerfest in Norway. The world’s most northerly city, 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle, is expected to hit a balmy 8C today.
While temperatures here struggle to get above zero, the wind chill is making us feel that extra bite.
Met Office forecaster Helen Roberts said Britain has felt the cold more keenly than thermometers would suggest because of winds roaring in from Russia andScandinavia.
She said: “The temperature on the thermometer is not the same as what you feel when you incorporate wind chill. If there is any moisture on your skin, when the wind evaporates it you will feel much colder. Wind chill is entirely to do with the speed of the wind.
“Recently temperatures have been feeling even colder than usual because the brisk winds have been coming from the East and the Northeast, which is a further factor in feeling more cold than usual.
“The South-west has been particularly bad recently.”
The worst of the latest snowstorms were at the other end of the country, however. Swathes of Northern England spent the weekend under a blanket of snow and forecasters predict temperatures could plunge as low as -11C in Northern Scotland in the days to come.
The temperature on the thermometer is not the same as what you feel when you incorporate wind chill. If there is any moisture on your skin, when the wind evaporates it you will feel much colder. Wind chill is entirely to do with the speed of the wind.
Light snow is expected in Kent, East Anglia and Northern England but will be confined mainly to hills in the North.
Maximum temperatures over the next couple of days are expected to be around 2C in England and 4C in Scotland. Thousands of gritters are on stand-by to deal with icy roads and snow while railway operators are poised to de-ice trains. Bookmakers are offering odds of 2/1 on temperatures falling below this winter’s record so far of -13.4C.
Ladbrokes said: “It’s getting colder but cold weather bets are hotting up.”
As temperatures plunged as low as -8C over the weekend, the Met Office upgraded its health alert to Level Three. Charities warned that the toll of weather-related deaths among the elderly is soaring as the bitter cold, combined with record energy prices, leaves many struggling to survive.
As many as 26,000 elderly people could die this winter, the worst death toll since 2008/09.
But even though spring is just around the corner, the changing of the seasons will be a slow process. Temperatures are set to rise as the week goes on but they will stay below average and it will still feel distinctly chilly.
Ms Roberts said: “It will remain cold throughout the week but temperatures will start to creep up very gradually. By the end of the week, temperatures will probably be closer to what we would normally expect but it will still feel cold. There will be a few snow flurries here and there over the next few days and we expect it to stay cold well into March.”
