London UK weather: “Beast from the east” brings a blast of cold as the Met Office says snow is on the way
Next month could be the coldest on record as the so-called beast from the east brings about the chilliest spell of weather for several years.
A cold easterly wind will cause temperatures to drop below 0 °C with the wind chill, and snow showers are expected to develop widely, with some places seeing as much as five to 10 centimetres of snow.
Coral has slashed the odds on this March being the coldest on record to 6-4 from 3-1. Odds are also on at 1-3 for snow to fall in London by the end of February, and this year is odds-on at 4-5 to be the coldest year since records began.
The government yesterday warned health risks may arise as temperatures plummet across the UK, and the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for swathes of the southeast of England on Monday, extending to the north on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Read more: There could be snow on the way later this month, the Met Office says
Yellow severe weather warnings for #snow have been issued: https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs Stay #weatheraware @metofficeuk pic.twitter.com/GgauVbvkDX— Met Office (@metoffice) February 24, 2018
“Parts of southern England and Wales are likely to the coldest spell of weather since 2013. Many places will be dry, but snow showers are expected to develop from Monday,” said Paul Gundersen, a Met Office chief forecaster.
“There is the potential for some disruptive snowfall on Monday evening and through Tuesday. The regions most at risk of disruptive snow are parts of southeast England and East Anglia, although parts of northern England and eastern Scotland are also at risk. Transport disruption is likely in areas with significant snowfall.
“With such low temperatures, snowfall is likely to be powdery, bringing the risk of drifting in the strong easterly winds. However, the majority of the air is so dry that hoar frost and ice will be less likely to form.”
There’s #snow in the forecast next week, here’s where you might see it falling. For expected impacts, see our warnings here https://t.co/b3lIwa2UeZ #UKsnow pic.twitter.com/Vk1ARGAq8k— Met Office (@metoffice) February 23, 2018
Cold weather could push energy bills higher
Wholesale gas prices have risen in recent weeks due to increased demand following the drop in temperature.
Having increased about 14 per cent in the past week alone, wholesale gas hit 58p per therm on Friday, more than a three-year high.
Read more: Met Office issues snow warning for London with temperatures set to plummet