Arctic blast to batter Britain with four inches of snow and temps plunging as low as -10C after sweeping through Europe
BRITAIN is about to freeze in the first “real blast of winter” with Arctic gales and widespread snow set to hit within days.
Friday 13th is expected to be the coldest day of winter so far with strong winds and heavy rain threatening a stormy start to the week before the cold bites towards the weekend.
Parts of Britain are on alert for up to four inches of snow as bitter winds from the North Pole push temperatures below -10C (14F), which is colder than Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Europe has seen more than a dozen people die from cold weather in recent days with ten people dying in Poland on Friday after temperatures plummeted to -20C (-4F) on Saturday.
A man died on Saturday in Belgium when his truck slid off a motorway and in Italy sub-freezing temperatures were blamed for the deaths of half a dozen homeless people.
RELATED STORIES
Experts are warning to brace for harsh frosts and bitter Arctic gales to bring the coldest spell of winter so far.
It follows an unseasonably mild weekend which saw the mercury hit double figures as mild winds flowed in from the Atlantic.
Thermometers nudged into double figures around the UK with highs of 12C (54F) recorded in Exeter on Saturday.
Strong winds and heavy rain will shake things up over the next couple of days before Arctic air sweeps across the country.
The Met Office warned to brace for a “big change in the weather” after a relatively calm and settled start to the New Year.
Forecaster Steven Keates said: “The week will start off more unsettled with the risk of gales in parts and heavy rain moving across all regions on Monday.
“As we move through the week we are looking at a real blast of winter and the first proper snow, not just to the north but potentially across the south.
“Cold air will move across the UK from the north towards the weekend when we will be in a Polar maritime airmass.
“It will feel bitter in strong northerly winds with gales possible around the coasts, combined with high tides there could be very large waves to contend with.
“From Friday we could see snow in many places, showers are more likely to be snow than rain.
“Next weekend we could be into minus double figures overnight, so a big change in the weather on the way and possibly the coldest spell of winter so far.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368.