UK weather: How cold is it today? Polar vortex arrives to smash UK

THE beast from the east to set to hit the UK next week bringing over brutally cold weather, sub-zero temperatures and widespread snow, but how cold will it be today?

https://www.express.co.uk/9ec5c1a3-e6a1-45d8-a0c9-3802636a7373

Siberian winds will blast into the UK from Sunday into Monday bringing in bitterly cold air which is sat above Russia.

It will engulf the whole of the country with an Arctic blast and a windchill will mean temperatures will feel a lot colder than thermometers indicate.

Forecasters said most of the country will experience snow next week and disruptive snow will affect southern and eastern areas of the country.

These weather phenomenon is known as a polar vortex, which is a mass of bitterly cold air above the north and south poles and is controlled by pockets of low pressure.

Play vortex are associated with the so-called Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) - which sees a high risk of air temperatures decreasing to bone chilling temperatures.

Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: “It’s also going to be unusual in terms of how sustained the cold weather will be throughout next week and potentially beyond and unusual in terms of how widespread up and down the British Isles the cold will be.

“In fact in this country we often say its marginal for snow you normally have to be further north or on a hill to see a guaranteed chance of snowfall, elsewhere rain and sleet but next week the air will be cold enough all the way from the Scilly Isles up towards Shetland for anything falling out of the sky to be snowfall.”

How cold is it today?

Today, temperatures are expected to be between 4-5C across the country, however it will feel a lot colder due to the high pressure which is drawing in the bitter easterly breeze from Scandinavia.

This system will maintain its grip across the country bringing in the brisk easterly breeze and keeping away other weather fronts.

Friday began with frosty temperatures up and down the country and the best of the sunshine was experienced across Scotland.

In England and Wales, there will be much brighter skies compared to the last few mornings, however temperatures were around -1 or -2C as we began Friday.

Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: “We’ll continue to see some cloud move in from the east as the day goes on but on the whole it’s looking like a sunnier day compared to other days this week. The breeze across much of the west of Britain will continue to be strong and we’ll experience a brisk breeze across the south as well.

“This coming in from the east means that it will feel pretty chilly out there temperatures on the thermometer 4 or 5 degrees, however feeling colder than that though in that easterly breeze.”

Throughout the weekend, and across eastern parts of the country on Saturday, it will feel fairly cold but this will be compensated by spells of sunshine. Temperatures will vary between 4C to 6C, although these temperatures will feel cold to freezing.

However conditions will take a dramatic turn on Sunday night into Monday evening, which is when the coldest air will be drawn into the UK and temperatures will plunge, bringing in widespread snowfall.

Mr McGivern said: “At the beginning of next week we’ll see frequent snow showers.

“Now showers are notoriously hit and miss so some areas will see a considerable covering by the start of Monday, which could cause disruption on the roads first thing.

“Other areas will miss out, but as the week goes on that high pressure still to the northeast of us but high in the sky, an area of low pressure will start to appear and that will tend to destabilise the air and that means showers across the UK will become more and more widespread by the middle of next week, just about anywhere at risk from snow showers by Tuesday and Wednesday.”

Source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/weather/922996/UK-weather-polar-vortex-2018-how-cold-today-snow-forecast-weather-latest