Winds to intensify UK chill
2010-11-29 17:39
London - Britain's big chill is set to intensify and spread this week with stronger winds, severe frosts and more heavy snow, forecasters said on Monday.
Up to 50cm of snow is likely to have fallen across higher ground in Scotland and northern England, and the Met Office has issued severe weather warnings down the entire east coast of Britain.
There are also warnings of heavy snowfalls in London, southern England and the east Midlands as well as Scotland from Monday.
The weather has already caused serious disruption and transport problems, with Edinburgh airport closed, other airports suffering delays, and cancellations and limited train services on the East Coast mainline.
Many roads in Scotland were shut and motorists were warned to take care and to check conditions before setting out on journeys.
"As winds increase into next week, it will feel increasingly cold with a significant wind chill to contend with by day and night," said Met Office Chief Forecaster Steve Willington.
Historic lows
"Icy roads and snow will be a risk for many, and the public are advised to stay up to date with the forecast."
Temperatures dropped to historic lows for November at the weekend in Wales and Northern Ireland and there are warnings the mercury could sink as low as -20°.
Thermometers in Llysdinam in Powys, Wales, dropped as far as -18° while at Loch Fea in Northern Ireland they sank to minus -9.5°.
In Scotland, the mercury fell to -15.3° at Loch Glascarnoch, while in England a temperature of -13.5° was recorded at Topcliffe in North Yorkshire.
Braemar, in the Scottish Highlands, holds the prize for the UK's lowest ever recorded November temperature. The mercury there plummeted to -23.3° on November 14 1919.
