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Freezing temperatures and wintry showers forecast for UK

Snow warnings are in place for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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Much of the UK will wake up to freezing temperatures

Temperatures have plunged across the UK as forecasters warned that nowhere will be “immune” to sleet and snow.

Most woke to a cold start on Tuesday with temperatures hovering around minus 2C (28.4F) in the south of England and minus 5C (23F) in the north.

Isolated parts of northern and central Scotland were expected to see the mercury drop to minus 8C between 3am and 5am, the Met Office said.

Weather warnings for snow
(PA Graphics)

Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said wintry showers will sweep across Wales, south-west England, and down the east coast during the day.

He said: “Through the afternoon we might even get a few homegrown showers, so really anywhere tomorrow could catch a wintry shower by the time we get to the end of the afternoon.

“Nobody is entirely immune to the odd bit of sleet or snow. It won’t last long and it won’t settle for very long either, but nobody is going to be 100% safe from not seeing anything.”

Daffodils wilt in the cold after snow fell in Slayley, Northumberland
Daffodils wilt in the cold after snow fell in Slayley, Northumberland (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Snow warnings are in place for northern Scotland until 10am, with as much as 2cm falling in higher areas.

A separate yellow warning for snow and ice is also in place for west Wales and Northern Ireland until 10am, with up to 4cm expected to fall.

Temperatures are forecast to hit highs of just 8C in the south of England, and around 4C (39.2F) to 5C (41F) in the north later on Tuesday.

Waves crash against the Tynemouth Lighthouse on the North East coast
Waves crash against the Tynemouth Lighthouse on the North East coast (Owen Humphreys/PA)

However, Mr Partridge said the windchill will see most of the south feel “a couple of degrees above freezing”, while in Scotland the temperature will feel around minus 5C.

Tuesday night is forecast to be the coldest this week, with the mercury plummeting to minus 5C in southern and central England in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

In the north of England and into Scotland, temperatures are expected to hover around minus 6C (21.2F) to minus 8C.

Wednesday will be a mostly dry day, with temperatures forecast to be around 8C (46.4F) to 10C (50F) in the south.

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