Four inches of snow to blanket London as Troll of Trondheim blasts into Britain bringing -9C freeze
9 December 2022, 11:52 | Updated: 9 December 2022, 13:56
Nearly four inches of snow could fall in southern England within days with warnings issued about looming travel chaos.
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The UK will see at least seven days of arctic weather, in which temperatures could plummet to as low as -10C, wintry downpours and "freezing fog".
On Friday, the Met Office issued a yellow snow and ice warning for London and south-east England on Sunday and Monday after identical warnings in other parts of the country.
Snow has hit England as temperatures plunged ahead of a freezing weekend in the face of the "Troll of Trondheim".
Britain has been in a deep freeze, with the mercury dropping to zero and below, leaving the threat of ice and disruption.
Snow so far had largely been forecast for Scotland and higher ground, but on Friday residents of London posted about a flurry of snowflakes in the capital.
Light snow fell at Gatwick Airport and a smattering of it was reported by social media users in South West London.
Parts of northern England like County Durham woke up to find the ground covered in snow on Friday.
The Met Office has not issued any warning for snow in the south-east over what's expected to be a cold weekend, but it has warned of snow and ice for much of Scotland.
Ice warnings have been issued for many parts of the UK.
Speaking earlier in the week, Met Office Chief Meteorologist Steve Willington said: "Yellow National Severe Weather Warnings for ice and snow have been issued for parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the east coast and South West England.
"Showers will turn more wintry with an increasing risk of snow as the week progresses, particularly in coastal areas or over higher ground."
Jim Dale, a meteorologist at British Weather Services, told LBC on Friday that the cold snap could last almost for another 10 days and that temperatures would hit -9C overnight as far south as Oxfordshire.
Brits are struggling to heat their homes without breaking the bank and have been coming up increasingly desperate methods to stay warm for less.
LBC reported on a man who said he had to resort to using using bubble wrap to keep his home warm, a woman described how she was keeping her gas stove on to save money on heating and had rigged a makeshift drying rack above it, while others have shared pictures of how they are wrapped in blankets to stay warm while working from home to avoid putting on the heating.
Read more: Schools close and thundersnow hits as four lives claimed in arctic blast sweeping UK
Libraries across the UK are open for people to come in for free and shelter from the freezing temperatures outside.
A librarian in Lanarkshire shared a photo of herself wrapped up indoors having just got in from the cold.
She said: "Heating is on full - come on in to the library and get toasty!"
National Energy Action, a fuel poverty charity, has urged the Government to provide more support for "those at greatest peril". People on the lowest incomes who receive benefits like income and pension support are set to receive £25 energy payments from the government if they are in areas where it drops below 0C for seven days in a row.
The UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) has recommended that people keep the temperature in their homes at at least 18C for health reasons.
Those who are struggling with the cost of living crisis are advised to heat their living rooms during the day, and bedrooms before going to sleep to cut heating bills.
The UKHSA's guidance also tells people to eat hot food to keep warm.
A spokesperson said: "Wearing several layers of thinner clothing will keep you warmer than one thicker layer. Having plenty of hot food and drinks is also effective for keeping warm.
Meanwhile snow also hit Dublin in Ireland, with people sharing videos of a heavy flurry in the Irish capital, causing local travel authorities to suspend train services on Friday morning.
