Polar blast set to freeze UK as Brits warned to brace for plunging temperatures of -8C in parts of country

1 February 2024, 01:11

Brits have been advised to brace for the arrival of plunging temperatures as a polar blast is set to hit the UK.

Huge parts of the country are set to experience the polar blast despite milder days in recent weeks.

Weather maps show the wintry conditions could arrive by February 14.

Parts of the country could see temperatures as low as -8C in parts while some areas in Scotland, such as Edinburgh, are forecast as much as 2cm of snow.

South Wales and London are among some of the areas that could see freezing temperatures, with the capital set for temperatures as low as -6C and Abergavenny -5C, according to maps from WX Charts.

It comes as Britain was hit by gusts of 106mph on Wednesday and heavy rain as Storm Ingunn rolled in.

The storm, which was named by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, formed a ‘weather bomb’ on Wednesday as its central pressure fell by 50 millibars.

Aonach Mor saw gusts of 106mph, as well as 60 mph at Stornoway and 46mph in Edinburgh, with Scotland being the main area to be affected.

Read more: Storm Ingunn 'weather bomb' roars in as Britain hit by 106mph winds - before snow blast to hit UK

Read more: Exact date Arctic blast to bring 'three days of snow' as Met Office predicts return of wintry weather

The Met Office verdict

A long-range forecast from the Met Office has said there’s a chance of “wintry weather” in the days leading up to 14 February.

The forecast between 5 Feb-14 Feb reads: “Changeable conditions at first, with spells of mild, wet and windy weather punctuated by drier, cooler interludes.

“The northwest is likely to see the heaviest and most frequent or most persistent rain, while the east, and especially southeast, will tend to be drier overall.

“Largely cloudy with the best of any sunshine in the east. There is a chance colder conditions could then start to feature slightly more widely during the second week of February, with increased chance of wintry weather across northern parts of the UK.

“Cloud and rain being pushed in from the Atlantic may well be forced to track further south across the south of the country where it may remain milder. However, confidence is fairly low in this period.”

In the period from 15 Feb-29 Feb, the Met Office said the country can expect “temperatures overall around average” with a “northwest to southeast split in conditions, where colder conditions may have become established across the north and milder conditions with cloud and rain further south”.

However, the rest of the month could see the arrival of more wintry conditions due to winds from the north, as it said: “ Through mid-February there is an increasing likelihood of more settled conditions with winds arriving from the north.

“This would increase the chance of some colder spells for much of the UK, with a greater likelihood of wintry conditions at times, particularly in the north and east.”