SNOW COLD
UK weather: Met Office issues rare amber warning for 8inches of snow TODAY with fears of travel chaos in -14C freeze
'Potentially-disruptive' weather is forecast to land this weekend
THE Met Office has issued a rare amber warning for 8 inches of snow TODAY with fears of travel chaos in a -14C Arctic freeze.
The forecaster said some areas could see an extra 15 to 20cm of snow, meaning power cuts are likely and more remote communities are at risk of being cut off.
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It issued amber warnings for snow between 3pm on Wednesday and 6pm on Thursday in north-west Scotland and the Northern Isles, meaning road delays are likely and some vehicles could be stranded.
It comes after the Met Office said more than 40cm of snow may fall on high ground in north-west Scotland by the end of Friday.
Tuesday night did mark the coldest night this winter so far, beating the -12.5C daily minimum temperature recorded at Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands on December 3.
Freezing temperatures and snow will continue for much of Britain this week because of cold Arctic air before "potentially disruptive" stormy weather lands over the weekend.
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A "cold plunge of Arctic air" has moved south across the whole country over the past few days, making it 5C to 6C lower than usual for this time of year.
A Met Office spokeswoman said the low temperatures are also due to how long the cold snap has lasted.
She said: "It's due to the prolonged nature of this cold spell, it will have been lasting for quite a few days.
"A build up of snow, as well, just allows for the temperatures to get colder and colder and we don't often see a cold spell last three to five days.
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"The air is coming directly from the Arctic, so it is exceptionally cold air.
"It's staying cold until Friday, and then looking further ahead into the weekend we've got some deep areas of low pressure pushing in, so a big change in weather type, and we could see some stormy conditions by the end of the week.
"The cold isn't lasting right to end of the week, but we have a very different type of potentially-disruptive weather arriving."
The weather is forecast to turn stormy on Sunday, she added.
Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice remain in place across Scotland, much of northern England and parts of North Wales until Thursday, then more mild temperatures are forecast along with wind and rain.
Meanwhile, lower ground in north-west Scotland could see between five and 10cm of snow by the end of the working week.
The Met Office said on Tuesday: "There is a system skirting the south of the UK tonight and on Wednesday.
"This could bring a few snow flurries to the far south with a small chance of pushing slightly further north to bring more snow to southern counties."
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It said it is reviewing the situation and any new warnings could be issued at short notice.
The weekend will be milder, but westerly weather will bring wind and rain - and the potential for more weather warnings as the snow melts.
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