Snow has blanketed areas of Britain due to a blast of frigid Arctic air, with flakes reported as far south as London, prompting travel disruption warnings.
After midnight temperatures as low as -6C in Scotland, most of the UK stayed in sub-zero temperatures on Thursday morning, with the temperature anticipated to be 0C in St Albans, -3C in Derry, and -2C in Glasgow.
Snow sleets again in the UK
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The Met Office has issued numerous weather alerts for ice on Thursday and Friday, predicting hail, sleet, and snow across the nation, warning of the risk for injury and, in southeast England, interruption of rail and road systems due to ice and potentially snow, as per Independent.
On Thursday, there were already reports of huge lineups on the M62 near Greater Manchester, with icy conditions blamed for many incidents on the A61 in Derbyshire.
Motorists were warned to exercise caution when required, while some councils in northeast England implemented severe weather emergency measures, including services to assist individuals sleeping rough in an attempt to keep safe.
On Thursday morning, thousands of Britons saw snow and hail shower as a cold front moved over the country from the north. Scotland, the northwest and northeast of England were blasted by icy winds and sleet, in marked contradiction to the sunlight and balmy temperatures experienced by most of the rest of the UK last week.
The Met Office issued a whopping 11 yellow severe weather, with freezing temperatures and hail showers predicted to produce extensive ice and transportation mayhem, as per Express.
Weather warnings have been issued for parts of Scotland, the northeast of England, the northwest, and the southeast, with cities such as London, Newcastle, and Leeds all in danger of snow.
The arctic cold that descended on the UK on Tuesday caused temperatures to plunge, dashed hopes that spring had come last week when many locations basked in sunlight and highs of 20 degrees Celsius.
Top temperatures in the UK have plummeted in recent days, with mercury struggling to reach more than half of last week's highs.
Highs of 10 degrees Celsius are expected this weekend as Arctic air brings temperatures down to below normal for the second week of spring.
Forecasters forecast that certain parts of Scotland and Wales may see lows of -6 degrees Celsius in the coming days.
Read more: Here's What Scientists Uncovered After Extracting DNA From 'Blood Snow' in Alps
Gardeners will be struggling due to cold weather
The dip in temperatures may endanger some of the country's gardeners.
Guy Barter of the Royal Horticultural Society stated, "Colder weather can limit plant development and inhibit plum and pear pollination since flies fly less in cold, dreary weather."
"Limited rain will benefit new sowings of peas and carrots, as well as newly planted lettuces and other plants, but it should not significantly delay sowing and planting until conditions are favorable." Tender plants, such as petunias and tomatoes, won't be taken outdoors for at least another month, but decreased light affects greenhouses and slows their growth."
Cold weather will continue till Monday
As per Met Office forecasts, a winter cold will linger over the UK for at least the next four days.
On Friday, Brits may expect sunny periods and more squally storms, particularly over the north and east coastlines.
A more organized region of rain is also expected to strike portions of western Scotland and Northern Ireland, according to forecasters.
The forecast for Saturday to Monday is not dissimilar, with winter showers likely to wash over the country before temperatures rise through Sunday and Monday, bringing gloomy and rainy spells with them.
