Snow War

Extreme weather warning as Britain braces for snowstorms

Blizzards and up to 15cm of snow expected as arctic temperatures make winter coldest for 13 years

Britain is standing by for more icy weather tonight as snowstorms move in from the North Sea where they have been gathering since early this morning.

Arctic temperatures will accompany a front that looks certain to make this winter the coldest for 13 years.

The Met Office said it was classifying tomorrow's expected snowfall as an "extreme weather event". The warning covers the south-east of England, including London.

"This is likely to be the heaviest and most widespread snowfall across England since January 2003," Tom Defty, the head of forecasting operations at MetService, said.

"Parts of south-east England, including London and eastern England, will see anywhere from 10cm [4in] to 15cm [of snow], and perhaps above 20cm over the higher ground."

He said the worst of the snow would arrive in Kent tomorrow morning before spreading north and west during the afternoon.

Up to 10cm of snow is expected to fall in the eastern parts of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, where the coastline between Bridlington and Skegness will bear the brunt of the first storms.

Blizzard conditions and drifts may affect coastal areas and close scores of roads if current high winds persist.

"Severe disruption to roads and airports is extremely probable during the peak of the Monday afternoon rush hour," Defty said.

"Through Monday night into Tuesday, a slow thaw will set in across eastern areas as milder air turns falling snow back to rain."

He said further outbreaks of snow were expected throughout the week across Wales, northern England and Scotland."

Forecasters predicted that the gathering strength of the cold front would see heavy falls well inland, with 5cm predicted for Leeds and Bradford, in Yorkshire, before the morning rush hour.

Light snow has already fallen intermittently in London and across East Anglia.
Forecasters are predicting average wind speeds of between 25 and 30mph, with much fiercer gusts. Gale force strengths could be reached as the storms move over warmer land and gather pace.

People across the country were warned to wrap up warm and avoid unnecessary journeys.
Stephen Davenport, of the MeteoGroup forecasting group, said: "In places, it will feel several degrees below because of wind chill."

The AA's spokesman Andy Taylor said: "Don't treat your car as an overcoat. If you break down you are suddenly vulnerable to the weather.

"That especially applies if you are on a motorway, where safety advice is to get out of the car and wait behind the barrier. Unless you have extra clothes, you really could be flirting with hypothermia."

The easterly chill follows a relatively mild spell after the three-week freeze in early January during which lows of –13C (8.6F) were reached. The previous coldest winter was in 1995.

Bookies have cut odds on 2009 being the coldest winter on record from 12/1 to 8/1, but a counter-trend is seeing betting that this summer will be one of the hottest ever.


Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/weather/2009/feb/01/snow-arctic-britain-weather-blizzards