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The UK is set for the coldest day of the year today with snow and ice to hit parts of the north including Scotland.
An arctic blast will mean up to 20cm (4in) of snow could fall on high ground, with up to 10cm possible in low-lying regions, according to forecasters.
It will feel as cold as -4C in parts of the UK as a front of cold air works its way down the country, bringing the threat of sleet and snow in the Midlands and southern England later in the week.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice in parts of Scotland and northern England as temperatures are set to plummet.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a cold weather alert and placed north-west England and Yorkshire under a level 3 alert.
This means there is a 90% chance of severely cold weather, icy conditions or heavy snow, which could increase the health risk to vulnerable people. The rest of the UK has been placed under level 2.
The forecaster has already warned of the risk of travel disruption in areas affected by snow with roads and railways expected to be icy.
Arctic air is moving over the country which could lead to the coldest day of the year so far (Picture: PA)
Snow and ice warnings are in place across the north and in Scotland for today and tomorrow (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
Yellow weather warnings are in place from today till late tomorrow across northern Scotland and north-east England, as well as parts of Yorkshire and the Humber, and Lincolnshire.
The weather warning, which started at 6pm on Sunday, extends to just before midnight tomorrow and covers the northern part of Scotland, including Aberdeen and Inverness.
Temperatures are likely to stay far below average for early spring for much of the week.
Below-freezing temperatures are predicted to continue until Saturday, at least amid a Sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event.
Craig Snell, a senior meteorologist at the Met Office, said: ‘Going into next week we do see a bit of a change with even colder air coming through and then an increase in risk of sudden disruption due to some sleet, snow and some ice.
He added that the Met Office yellow warnings were unlikely to change.
He said: ‘Scotland and some eastern parts of England have warnings going throughout Monday and Tuesday. In other parts of the country – we are keeping a close eye on it – there is a chance that we could see some snow further south as we kind of go through the week ahead.’
Agostinho Sousa, the head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: ‘During periods like this, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may be more vulnerable to the cold weather, as it can have a serious impact on health.
Today could be coldest day of the year so far after an Arctic blast will hit the UK (Picture: PA)
Parts of Scotland could be covered in snow due to the freezing temperatures (Picture: Getty)
‘If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat your home to at least 18C if you can.’
BBC forecaster Sarah Keith-Lucas said that tomorrow night could be the coldest of the week and one of the coldest of the year, with lows of -10C (14F) possible in Scotland.
She added that it was ‘not too unusual’ to get these ‘cold wintry blasts’ even after entering meteorological spring, due to the effects of air from the Arctic.
But the forecast for the middle of the week is less certain, with the arrival of warmer air from the Atlantic expected to create a ‘battleground’ over the UK, she said.
She said this could bring snow to more southerly parts of England, or some much-needed rain following a dry six-week period.
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An arctic blast will mean up to 20cm (4in) of snow could fall on high ground, with up to 10cm possible in low-lying regions, according to forecasters.