Even London is braced for snow as Britain shivers in freezing conditions and Army is put on standby
- Department of Health issues weather alert as freeze poses significant health risks
- Forecasters warn 'it's going to be pretty cold' with temperatures in some rural areas as low as -11C
By
Chris Parsons
UPDATED:
11:58, 2 February 2012
Forecasters warned today that extreme cold will grip the country over the next few day with the possibility of snow even in London and the south.
The Met Office has maintained its cold weather alert at level three, which means 'severe' conditions.
Some areas have been told to expect temperatures of minus -11C and the Army has been put on standby should conditions get even worse.
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White wilderness: A hiker takes an early morning walk up to Great Mis Tor, near Princetown, Dartmoor, yesterday after fresh snow overnight
Wintry sunshine: Snow blows across the rocks near Great Mis Tor on Dartmoor. Devon and Cornwall have already felt the brunt of the snow and ice which is forecast for the rest of the country
Around four inches of snow and ice are forecast for parts of the country due to a high-pressure system over Scandinavia which is pushing raw eastern winds towards the UK.
Record low temperatures in Eastern Europe have caused dozens of fatalities with 43 dead in
Ukraine alone, where the mercury dropped to -33C.
Paul Mott, forecaster with MeteoGroup, said: 'The nights will be really cold throughout the week and there will be the occasional snow showers over the eastern counties of England, eastern Scotland and even London.'
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Mr Mott said the mercury could plummet to as low as -10C in rural parts of central England on Thursday night, with average day time readings only reaching 3C-4C.
BBC Radio 5 Live said temperatures could fall as low as -11C.
MeteoGroup forecaster Clare Allen said: 'We've got an easterly wind bringing snow showers off the North Sea. Most areas of the UK will see daytime maximum temperatures of 2C and 3C. London will be a maximum of 4C, so it's going to be pretty cold.'
Big freeze: Sheep stranded in the snow on Dartmoor. The Met Office raised its weather alert to level 3 on Monday, meaning severe conditions
Devon and Cornwall have already felt the brunt of the bad weather. Police in the two counties have warned motorists not to travel unless it is essential after snowfalls on Exmoor and Dartmoor.
The icy blast meant staff at Luton Airport had to defrost a fleet of easyJet planes yesterday before passengers could get on, as temperatures dipped below freezing at the airport in Bedfordshire.
It warned that low temperatures can be especially dangerous for the young and the elderly or those with chronic disease.
Winter's here: After one of the mildest winters on record the country is braced for sub-zero temperatures and icy conditions. Here dog walkers enjoy the snow on Dartmoor
Freezy jet: Workers at Luton in Bedfordshire had to defrost a fleet of easyJet planes yesterday before passengers could board as temperatures hit freezing point
Health chiefs have also started warning that as a result of the freezing conditions, more than 1,500 people a week could be killed by the weather.
The Department of Health's Chief Medical Officer said that around 1,560 people, many elderly, would die due to cold weather each week between now and March in normal winter weather. That figure will rise 'substantially', however, due to extreme cold like that we are currently experiencing.
During last year's big freeze, the death rate in England and Wales shot up by 21 per cent from 9,220 a week to 11,193.
Dame Sally Davies said: 'Mortality rises by 19 per cent in winter months in England, amounting to 27,000 excess deaths or 1,560 more people per week compared with the rest of the year. And very severe weather can substantially add to this death toll.
'The majority of UK deaths are among older people, especially women, and those with underlying health problems - but they are not people who would have died anyhow at that time.'
Heavy covering: The snow covered fields of Dartmoor and a misty morning seen from Great Mis Tor, near Princetown yesterday
The military have been put on alert should conditions deteriorate to a Met Office level 4, which means a 'major cold weather incident'.
When
freezing conditions struck in 2010, members of the armed forces were
called in to help clear snow from the roads and assist residents in
particularly hard-hit areas.
Mobilised soldiers will also help clear special locations such as doctors’ surgeries, care homes and hospitals.
The cold spell breaks what has so far been one of the warmest winters on record. Forecasters said it was becoming increasingly likely that the freezing temperatures would stick around and even last through the whole of February.
There are fears that the sudden onset could bring travel chaos and catch many drivers off guard.
AA spokesman Luke Bodett said: ‘We have had a very mild winter so far and motorists need to get into their winter mindset from today. It is going to be important not to charge around in the way they may have been used to and be prepared for the unexpected.’
Freezing: A lone walker struggles as heavy wind whips snow up into his face on Dartmoor. In Eastern Europe, record low temperatures have caused dozens of deaths
The Met Office has briefed government departments and local councils about the cold period so that extreme weather plans can be put on standby.
Meanwhile, well-prepared residents in a Cornish village have bought their own snowplough and gritter after they were cut off for a week in a blizzard during previous winters.
The Badgall and Laneast Action
Group (Blag), have raised £2,650 to buy the plough and mechanical salt
spreader. Two farmers in the area have been designated to operate them
during heavy snowfall. Blag said residents 'voted with their pockets'
after being cut off during the last two winters.
WEATHER WATCH BY JOHN KETTLEY
Britain has seen very little wintry weather so far this season – but nothing is ever straightforward with our weather.
After three consecutive harsh winters we have reverted to what is seen as more typical winter weather.
Perhaps this year we have felt cheated by above-average temperatures and just a few frosty mornings.
Now the snowdrops have appeared in the garden it seems that spring is not too far away.
Prior to the winter of 2008-09 there had been only one truly harsh winter in the previous 17 years – and that began late in the season.
Cold winds first reached us from Siberia in the final week of January 1995, leading to heavy snow showers.
So could there be a sting in the tail this year?
History says it can happen, even after one of the mildest winters on record.
As recently as last Wednesday the temperature peaked at 12.1C at Hawarden in Flintshire, but a band of heavy rain sweeping into the North Sea by Thursday brought cold winds and snow showers to higher ground.
The prospects for the coming week are for the coldest weather so far, with hard frosts overnight, snow flurries and perhaps just the higher ground seeing any heavy snow.
Spokesman Paul Stephenson said: 'If you're out in the rural areas the main roads are beautifully clear, but our parish is split into a hamlet and village either side of a ridge with a steep hill on one side and open moorland.
'The situation is that there is just not the resources for the Highways to cope with the snow, we just have to wait, and the reality is waiting up to a week before there is clearance of our road. But we're not trying to emulate the speed and ferocity of the Highways team.'
He said there were many retired residents in the area so 'we were very keen to mechanise' the removal of snow rather than relying on manpower.
And motorists were being urged to be vigilant against thieves who are cashing in on the cold weather by looking for drivers who hate getting into an icy car.
Police said the thieves - usually working in a team of two - park in a side street when people are leaving to go to work.
Many drivers nip outside and de-ice their windscreens, and leave their engines running to warm up the car while they pop back indoors for one last cup of coffee.
One thief sneaks from their getaway car, dives into the motor with the engine running and they both tear off before the owner can run outside to stop them.
Detectives said in a recent incident - in Northampton - a car owner heard their vehicle being driven away at speed after going back into the house for a moment.
A police spokeswoman said: 'It is vital that vehicles are clear of frost and snow before driving, but we would always advise motorists to stay with their vehicle whilst de-frosting, even if it's parked on their front driveway.
'People may assume that nothing will happen in a few minutes, however what might only seem like a few minutes in the house, can provide the small window of time an opportunistic thief needs.
'This type of crime is preventable and we urge members of the public to allow extra time to safely clear their windscreens in the morning.
In Eastern Europe, the death toll from Arctic conditions has risen to at least 89, and Russian gas provider Gazprom has issued a warning over fuel supplies.
In Ukraine, 43 people have died in the past five days, its emergency
ministry said, as the former Soviet republic shivered through its
coldest winter in six years. Overnight temperatures sank as low as -33C
and hundreds of heated tents have been put up to shelter the homeless.
Poland, Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic have all been badly hit - causing schools to close, roads to be blocked and power cut.
At least 10 people froze to death in Poland as the cold
reached -26C yesterday. Malgorzata Wozniak, a spokeswoman for Poland's
Interior Ministry, said elderly people and the homeless were among the
dead.
Police are now checking unheated empty buildings to corral the homeless into shelters. Until now, Poland had been having a mild winter with little snow and temperatures just below freezing.
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