BRITAIN is bracing for an “Arctic plunge” as a ten-day chill is set to sweep through the country from today.
Snow is forecast up and down the UK with the cold creeping in over the weekend which comes with lows of -7C.
Lows of -7C are expected later next week when ice and frost start to sweep across the country.
A 900-mile wide Arctic plunge will hit the country from today, with blankets of snow to hit Scotland first.
Read our weather live blog for the latest forecasts and updates…
- Milica Cosic
Temperatures to plummet… and fast
Wintry flurries are then expected to strengthen and move further south over that weekend, the Express reports.
Temperatures are already expected to plummet this weekend, as the mercury dips by 8C from a balmy 15C today to 7C in the north on Friday.
But while the threat for snow appears to be around normal for this time of year, things are only set to get colder.
- Milica Cosic
It's going to get colder
Cooler temperatures will develop next week, as pressure builds in the south of Iceland.
And a "secondary push of colder Icelandic air" is then expected to arrive towards the end of the week, "further dropping temperatures".
According to WXCharts, up to 24cm of snow could fall across north western parts of Scotland over the weekend of November 28.
On Friday 26, snow depth maps suggest Wales could see 10cm of snow while the Midlands could get 6cm.
- Milica Cosic
Explained: Is it illegal to drive without fog lights?
If you use your fog lights when it isn't foggy you could be endangering other road users and potentially breaking the law.
The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 says that it is illegal to use your lights to dazzle drivers coming towards you.
Fog lights are very bright, which means they shouldn't be used in normal weather.
Switching or leaving your fog lights on when it's clear, or if it's just rainy, or in light mist where visibility is greater than 100m, could land you with a fine.
If you use your fog lights incorrectly, you could be fined £30 at the roadside.
You won't get penalty points if dealt with in this way.
- Milica Cosic
'Icelandic air' set to swoop over to the UK
“Icelandic air” is set to swoop over to the UK towards the end of next week, sending temperatures plummeting across the country.
BBC weather's forecast for the month reads: "A surge of colder Icelandic air will spill across the UK over the final ten days of November and linger into the first few days of December.
"The most prominent drivers of this pattern will be high pressure in the Atlantic and a trough over Continental Europe."
Freezing temperatures could hit as low as -7CCredit: BPM - Milica Cosic
Arctic chill
Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: “I couldn't imagine a better weather pattern for cold weather fans, with forecast models showing a northerly straight from the Arctic next week.
“It turns much colder from the north later in the weekend. From Sunday, rain is likely in the North, with some snow across higher ground, possibly reaching low levels at times.
“Further south looks to have fewer showers, but with a slight chance of wintry weather, and chilly nights with frost in places.”
- Milica Cosic
Don't forget to wrap up warm
Lows of -7C are expected later next week when ice and frost start to sweep across the country.
A 900-mile wide Arctic plunge will hit the country from today, with blankets of snow to hit Scotland first.
Sleet has also been predicted to hit London in the middle of next week, with the capital hitting a maximum of 7C over the next week.
- Milica Cosic
Snow to hit in just 2 days
Britain is bracing for an “Arctic plunge” as a ten-day chill is set to sweep through the country from TODAY.
Snow is forecast up and down the UK with the cold creeping in over the weekend which comes with lows of -7C.
The Met Office has predicted heaps of the white stuff in the North from Monday, and other forecasters have warned of snow in the South from Wednesday night.
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'Arctic blast’ (continued)
A spokesman for MetDesk added: “Look away now if you don’t like the cold. A big change is shown for next week, with Arctic winds, plummeting temperatures and snow for some.”
It comes after forecasters predicted up to 24cm of the white stuff will fall across north western Scotland next weekend as temperatures plummet.
“Icelandic air” is set to swoop over to the UK towards the end of next week, sending temperatures plummeting across the country.
BBC weather’s forecast for the month reads: “A surge of colder Icelandic air will spill across the UK over the final ten days of November and linger into the first few days of December.
“The most prominent drivers of this pattern will be high pressure in the Atlantic and a trough over Continental Europe.”
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'Arctic blast' (continued)
Sleet has also been predicted to hit London in the middle of next week, with the capital hitting a maximum of 7C over the next week.
Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: “I couldn’t imagine a better weather pattern for cold weather fans, with forecast models showing a northerly straight from the Arctic next week.
“It turns much colder from the north later in the weekend. From Sunday, rain is likely in the North, with some snow across higher ground, possibly reaching low levels at times.
“Further south looks to have fewer showers, but with a slight chance of wintry weather, and chilly nights with frost in places.”
- [email protected]
‘Arctic plunge’
Britain is bracing for an “Arctic plunge” as a ten-day chill is set to sweep through the country from TODAY.
Snow is forecast up and down the UK with the cold creeping in over the weekend which comes with lows of -7C.
The Met Office has predicted heaps of the white stuff in the North from Monday, and other forecasters have warned of snow in the South from Wednesday night.
Lows of -7C are expected later next week when ice and frost start to sweep across the country.
A 900-mile wide Arctic plunge will hit the country from tomorrow, with blankets of snow to hit Scotland first.
- [email protected]
A cold wind blows
Britain is braced for nine INCHES of snow next week as cold wind blows down from the Arctic Circle.
Forecasters predict up to 24cm of the white stuff will fall across north western Scotland next weekend as temperatures plummet.
The Met Office says snow is “likely across higher ground and possibly falling to low levels at times” next week.
And its long-range forecast warns of “a slight chance of some wintry weather” further south from November 22 to December 1.
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The fightback against winter Covid
Boosters slash people’s Covid risk by two thirds and have set cases falling after they hit record levels in October – lowering the risk of the NHS becoming overwhelmed this winter.
Mass testing shows people given a third dose are 62 per cent less likely to get Covid than the double-jabbed.
And since the rollout kicked in last month, England’s infection rate has dropped from 1.72 per cent to 1.57 per cent.
Health officials have urged those who are eligible to get a third dose this winter to stop a third wave of the virus and making this winter as much of a misery as last year’s.
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Explainer: Why do hospitals get overrun during winter?
Even before the pandemic, the NHS often sees an annual surge of emissions during the winter.
The cold weather brings with the typical accidents you’d expect such as car crashes and injuries from slipping on the ice and snow.
Additionally people are more likely to be admitted with frostbite or suffering from the extreme cold due to being caught out in the cold weather or suffering from fuel poverty. Elderly people and babies are also more susceptible to the cold.
The other big concern is that virus love a cold climate. This is why winter is called flu season and the annual vaccine programme starts in the winter. The body is partially weakened by dealing with colder temperatures so it makes it easy for viruses like flu and the common cold to spread.
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Demystifying fog laws
If you use your fog lights when it isn’t foggy you could be endangering other road users and potentially breaking the law.
Fog lights are very bright, which means they shouldn’t be used in normal weather as it could temporarily blind other drivers.
Switching or leaving your fog lights on when it’s clear, or if it’s just rainy, or in light mist where visibility is greater than 100m, could land you with a fine.
If you use your fog lights incorrectly, you could be fined £30 at the roadside.
However this will not lead to points on your licence.
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Explained: How do I work out how much energy I am using?
Now that energy bills are sky rocketing people will be looking to how they can save money by cutting down on appliance use.
Some may even want to look at alternative heat sources like log burner and electric heaters – but beware of the hidden cost.
Here’s the equation you use to work out how much your devices are costing you:
Cost = power (kilowatt) x cost of one kWh (pence) x the length of time (just the one off meal, or over a week or month.)
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Austria in lockdown as Covid cases soar
Austria forced all its unvaccinated residents into a nation-wide lockdown yesterday as Covid cases soar and hospital corridors fill with dead bodies.
Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said the lockdown would run for a “maximum of 20 days” and imposed a new mandate forcing all Austrians to get vaccinated by February 1.
Austria registered a whopping 15,145 new Covid cases on Thursday, smashing last November’s peak of 9,586 confirmed cases.
Covid rates have been rapidly escalating in recent weeks as the country grapples with one of the lowest vaccination rates – roughly 66 per cent – in western Europe and among the highest with a seven-day average of 971.5 per 100,000 people.
Experts warn the death toll could reach 2,000 by the end of this week, according to Kronen Zeitung.
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Explained: Which suppliers offer the warmer homes discount?
Its up to the individual energy supplier to offer the warmer homes discount so you need to check with them. However the main six have already opened applications.
- E.ON (including NPower) – open for applications
- Scottish Power – open for applications
- Utility Warehouse – open for applications
- British Gas – open for applications
- British Gas Evolve – open for applications
- EDF – open for applications
You can check which other suppliers are part of the scheme on the Gov.uk website.
Explained: What is the warmer homes discount?
Rather than money being paid to you, the Warmer Homes Discount is a £140 discount applied by your energy supplier.
It is designed to reduce your heating costs between October and March when it is colder outside and you are likely to use more gas and electricity.
The discount is only available if your supplier has chosen to offer it.
Older people receiving the guarantee element of pension credit are eligible for the discount – known as the “core group” – and should receive a letter by December about how to get it.
Outside of the “core group,” You may still be eligible if you receive certain means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit.
You will need to apply to your supplier if they provide the support and check their criteria.
Protect your pipes (continued)
Phoebe Brooks, who works for Pimlico Plumbers in London, told The Sun: “If you go away over the winter, don’t switch your heating off. Keep it on low.
“Some people have thermostats that kick in when the temperature goes below 5C so that way instead of the pipes getting too cold and freezing, it can warm everything up.
“It doesn’t need to be too hot, it just doesn’t want to be below 5C. The main thing is that, because that’s when it starts freezing.”
Protecting the pipes
A plumber has shared her top tips to prevent your pipes freezing this winter to help you avoid costly repairs.
The top tip is to protect your pipes from plummeting temperatures by keeping them insulated.
Another suggestion is to regularly turn your taps on while you’re at home.
It’s also important to keep your house at a certain temperature while you’re on holiday. You can do this by leaving your thermostat on low during your time away.
Leaving the heating on when you’re not home might seem like a waste of money – but it could be cheaper and less hassle than repairing damage caused by a burst pipe.
It’s also important not to forget about pipes that are hidden away in your house. Pipes that are outside or in the loft actually need to be insulated as a priority due to the cooler temperatures.
Don’t switch whatever you do!
Yes, gas and electricity prices are going up.
The standard advice in such a situation is to shop around for the best fixed deal.
But energy suppliers have been pulling their cheapest tariffs off the market as their own costs soar.
Contrary to usual advice, the best thing for people to do at the moment is wait.
If you’re on the standard tariff then you’ll likely be getting a better price right now than you would from a fixed deal.
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Why are energy bills rising?
Gas and electricity bills are on the rise after the energy price cap increased last month.
This pushed the amount that suppliers can charge on default tariffs up from £1,138 to £1,277.
But households have also been hit by the collapse of a string of energy suppliers.
Many small providers have struggled to cope with rising energy costs and have shut down, reducing competition in the market and leaving customers in the hands of bigger players with more expensive tariffs.
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Light show (continued)
The Borealis display was installed as part of the Greenwich+Docklands Festival in August this year, and now it’s back as part of a series of outdoor activities being held between now and January 9.
In Grosvenor Square, thousands of white roses will be lit up as part of an everlasting garden display.
Nine of London’s bridges – from London to Lambeth – will be illuminated in a separate project, in what is set to be the longest public art project in the world.
In Canary Wharf, 20 light installations will be on show alongside an ice rink and an outdoor food market.
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Light show
No need to book a holiday to the North Pole this Christmas, the Northern Lights are coming to London.
A series of free outdoor activities have been announced by Sadiq Khan to bring some much-needed joy to the city.
A lights display, named Borealis, will recreate the Northern Lights along the River Thames by shining beams of light into the sky above Guildhall Yard.
The multicoloured lights will shine through clouds and reflect off buildings and trees to mimic the movements of the natural wonder.
The display is free but ticketed, with tickets available to book online now.
- Louis Allwood
What should I do about rising energy bills?
Don’t switch whatever you do!
Yes, gas and electricity prices are going up.
The standard advice in such a situation is to shop around for the best fixed deal.
But energy suppliers have been pulling their cheapest tariffs off the market as their own costs soar.
Contrary to usual advice, the best thing for people to do at the moment is wait.
If you’re on the standard tariff then you’ll likely be getting a better price right now than you would from a fixed deal.
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