With northern areas such as Teesdale, County Durham, already under snow, Britain has been warned to wrap up and take care as temperatures plunge to freezing across the country.



A day before the official start to winter on 1 December, the mercury is expected to fall as low as -10C in some parts. The cold spell could make Britain colder than Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, which is due to have a high of 7C later in the week, while Helsinki will see temperatures of between 3C and 4C.

The Met Office issued ice warnings for northern parts of Scotland overnight, with snow expected on higher ground. Temperatures will drop, with Thursday and Friday likely to be chilliest.

Grahame Madge of the Met Office said: “The weather situation is that it’s likely to be getting colder as we go towards Thursday and into Friday. Pretty much everywhere in the UK will be within touching distance of freezing. In Scotland air temperatures could drop down to -10C, but that’s likely only if you are out overnight in the Scottish mountains.”

Public Health England (PHE) warned people to look out for those most likely to be affected by the cold. Dr Thomas Waite, of PHE’s extreme events team, said: “As the weather is going to get colder everywhere in the coming days, this is a really good time to check on those who may be at risk.

“People with diseases such as heart and lung conditions, older people and young children can feel the ill effects of cold weather more than the rest of us.”

Waite advised people to wear lots of thin layers instead of just one or two thick items of clothing and to maintain a home temperature of at least 18C.

Drivers in Scotland are warned of possible icy patches on some roads. Commuters have also been told to be prepared for disruption due to cold and wet weather, with South Western Railway predicting “poor rail conditions” across the network throughout this week. For more on South Western train services, visit www.journeycheck.com/swr/