Met Office has provided an update on how long the abnormally cold weather sweeping across the UK will last.
According to expert forecasters, icy conditions with overnight double-digit sub zero temperatures in some places across the country will last for at least a week. It comes after Wednesday's yellow ice weather warning was extended into Friday, covering coastal and northern parts of England.
It is understood that arctic air will rapidly move south on Wednesday, sweeping most of the country with unusually cold conditions for this time of year. However, the Met Office has noted that there will be no hard snow with more wintry showers to be expected during the cold spell.
Read more: Greater Manchester's weather forecast as temperatures plummet below freezing and rare alert in place
In the North West, temperatures are expected to dip as low as -6C this evening (December 7) with widespread frost forecasted. Similarly, the weekend will experience highs of 1C and lows of -2C, although the weather itself will remain clear. Temperatures are forecast to remain at or just below freezing levels in the region for the next seven days, the Met Office says.
Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: “We are in this pattern for seven days at least. We could see it continue for a while longer, there’s uncertainty in the evolution and how long it will last.
“However, the pattern for the next seven days is that it will remain cold and we will see double-digit minus figures overnight in areas that are prone to frosts and areas where there is lying snow.”
Mr Madge highlighted that while this will be a tough cold snap, it doesn't come close to the "hard December" experienced in 2010. Despite this, plummeting overnight temperatures in Sheffield saw a major incident after approximately 2,000 homes were left without gas for five days.
Meanwhile, Age UK advised members of the public to maintain a supply of food and medicine to help reduce the number of essential outdoor trips.
Read next:
-
The festering resentment that left one man dead and another behind bars for life
-
Three men charged with murder following fatal stabbing of teenager Kyle Hackland in south Manchester
-
Dad murdered in gun-and-acid attack may have been victim of a botched attempt to destroy evidence
-
Travel chaos as hundreds of football supporters flood Manchester street after shock win for Morocco
-
Man, 24, charged after woman allegedly raped in her own home
