by Joe Jeffrey
Colder weather predicted as snow heads east
Parts of the UK remain on high alert this week as temperatures continue to plummet in a sure sign that winter is here to stay.
With the cold snap, snow has fallen across the Borders, Pennines, Wales and the Midlands, with temperatures dropping as low as minus 7C in northern Scotland.
A mixture of rain and sleet, as well as snow, will continue to spread further to the east across England and Wales, eventually reaching the east coast tonight, with some lower ground receiving heavy bursts.
Cold and strong winds, with North Sea coastal counties predicted to play host to gales of up to 55mph, are also forecast, with the effects of scattered winter showers continuing into Friday.
The fall in temperature has prompted health chiefs to issue warnings to elderly residents across the country, advising those most vulnerable to have the flu jab and ensure homes are kept warm. The advice follows a stark rise in winter deaths last year, rising to 151 per cent which, according to official figures, saw almost 44,000 deaths in England and Wales between December 2014 and March 2015.
Public Health England’s Dr Angie Bone said: “It’s so important to remember that cold does kill, even in places where the temperatures aren’t at their lowest.
“Most of our advice at PHE on keeping warm in cold weather may seem like common sense but people should think about how the cold weather can affect them.”
The weekend looks set to allow for the cold snap to continue, with temperatures plummeting even further and mercury is predicted to fall as low as minus 15C in some parts of the UK – the lowest temperatures recorded in the UK since 2012, when it fell to minus 15.C at Holbeach in Lincolnshire.
Meanwhile, motorists have been warned of difficult driving conditions and travel disruption.
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