Temperatures could drop to their lowest this winter on Thursday night (Image: Met Office/PA)
Forecasters are predicting the coldest night of the so far on Thursday, with temperatures dropping to lows of -16C in Scotland and -15C in northern England.
The has warned that over the next 48 hours, with a predicted drop of the mercury to -16C ushering in what would be the lowest nighttime temperature this winter.
Temperatures of -16C would be the lowest recorded in the UK in January for 15 years, according to data.
The forecaster predicts that temperatures could drop to lows of -12C in Scotland on Wednesday night, with the possibility of -10C in northern England, -4C in the south and -5C in Wales.
Thursday could bring record lows of -15C and -16C to northern areas alongside -10C in Wales and Northern Ireland and -7C in London and the south east.
And they’re likely to rise again by the end of the week, when the suggests they could drop to -12C overnight, with lows of -5C and -4C in south easterly regions.
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Temperatures could drop to -14C in northern areas on Wednesday night (Image: Met Office)
Thursday night could be bone-chillingly cold for large parts of the UK (Image: Met Office)
Parts of the country have been battered by cold and icy conditions today, with southern regions hit by snow and sleet on Wednesday afternoon and drivers in Cornwall and Devon urged not to make car journeys amid weather-related disruption.
The UK Health Security Agency has extended its cold weather health alert for all of England until Sunday.
for southern regions until midnight tonight, while warnings for snow and ice in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Cornwall, Wales and north eastern England will expire tomorrow.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at the UKHSA, said: “We are extending the duration of our Cold-Health Alert, since the are forecasting that the low temperatures we are seeing will continue further into this week, with snow and icy conditions likely to persist.
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Temperatures will fall into negative double figures in the coldest areas during the next few nights and a few locations may see minimum temperatures as low as minus 16 Celsius ??????
— Met Office (@metoffice)
Most of the UK will be covered in snow by Thursday night, according to WXCharts (Image: WXCharts)
“This weather can have a serious impact on the health of some people, including those aged 65 and over and those with pre-existing health conditions, and it is therefore vital that we continue to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.
“These people could be more at risk of heart attacks, stroke and chest infections as a result of cold temperatures.”
The country has also been hit by widespread flooding in recent days, with firefighters rescuing dozens of people stranded in rising floodwater in Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, after a danger to life alert was issued this week.
As the cold snap continues, flooding disruption is expected to ease, with over 200 flood warnings and alerts removed in the last 48 hours and drier weather forecast for the rest of the week.
Snow depths could deepen over the same period, however, with WXCharts suggesting that up to 11cm could accumulate in the Midlands by Thursday night.
Met Office’s five day weather forecast
This evening and tonight:
Sleet and snow moving over the south before clearing overnight. Freezing fog likely with icy stretches and wintry showers in the north and west.
Thursday:
Cold with sunny spells. Some fog patches and wintry showers possible in northern and western areas.
Outlook for Friday to Saturday:
Sunny and dry in most places on Friday with clouds and patchy snow in the far west. Temperatures expected to become milder over the weekend.