The UK braces for a cold snap with temperatures potentially dropping to -20C on Friday night, especially in Scotland and northern England.
City: Altnaharra. So, it looks like the UK is in for a serious cold snap. Temperatures could drop to a bone-chilling -20C in some spots this Friday night. Can you believe that?
Just the other night, they were expecting -16C, but the coldest recorded was -14.5C in Altnaharra. That’s pretty chilly, right?
After a week of weather warnings for snow and ice, the last of those warnings for south-west England and south Wales wrapped up Friday morning. But tonight? It’s going to get even colder.
Scotland and northern England are bracing for the lowest temps of this cold spell, with forecasts showing between -15C and -20C. Yikes!
According to Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslick, while they don’t expect many places to hit -20C, a couple might just scrape by that mark overnight into Saturday.
Friday is also supposed to kick off a change in the weather, with milder temps trying to push in from the south-west. But don’t get too excited; it’s only expected to make limited progress.
We might see some patchy rain, sleet, and snow in parts of South West Britain. Snow amounts are uncertain, but it’s likely to be small and mostly on high ground. Just be careful of icy spots!
Most of the UK will have another dry and bright day, but it’s still going to be super cold, with some freezing fog hanging around.
As we get closer to Monday, things should warm up a bit, with temps hitting around 7C. Thank goodness for that!
But with all this ice, drivers are being told to stick to major roads that are likely to be gritted. Safety first, right?
By the way, the coldest January ever recorded in the UK was back in 1982, when it dropped to a staggering -27.2C in Braemar, Aberdeenshire. That’s a record!
Speaking of records, car insurer RAC has seen a huge spike in rescue calls over the last few days. They’re urging drivers to stay alert for icy conditions, especially on rural roads where black ice can be tricky to spot.
And if you’re traveling, be aware that Manchester Airport had to close its runways due to heavy snow but thankfully reopened them later. Transport for Wales also had to shut some rail lines because of track damage from the weather.
Oh, and hundreds of schools in Scotland and around 90 in Wales were closed on Thursday. It’s been a wild week!
As for flooding, there are currently 22 flood warnings in place across England, with the River Soar in Leicestershire being one of the worst-hit areas. They even had to rescue 59 people from flooding earlier this week.
In North Yorkshire, police recovered a man’s body from a flooded area, which is just heartbreaking. Thankfully, there are no flood alerts in Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland right now.
