Britain braces for more freezing fog as temperatures fall to -7C

Britain braces for more ice and freezing fog as temperatures fall to -7C overnight following the coldest night of winter so far

• Temperatures expected to plummet to -7C across England and Wales tonight as freezing fog patches linger
• Britons warned to beware icy stretches which could lead to difficult driving conditions across the nation 
• ***Send in your weather pictures to MailOnline by emailing [email protected]*** 

Britain is braced for another warning of ice and freezing fog tomorrow as temperatures are set to plummet to -7C tonight after a man was seen to make the most of the wintry conditions by skiing down his road in Durham.  

Yellow weather warnings remain in place for ice across the North of England and Scotland for Sunday with only southern parts of Scotland escaping the freezing conditions which are set to last until Monday.

Temperatures are expected to plummet to -7C across England and Wales tonight as freezing fog patches linger while sunny spells are expected across the rest of the UK on Sunday with milder temperatures in the afternoon. 

Cold conditions are expected to remain for the rest of the week yet there are no weather warnings in place from Tuesday onwards which is set to be cloudy and mild with rain at times across southern and central England. 

It comes after a man was seen skiing down his road in Ferryhill, County Durham, which was covered in snow on Friday morning. 

Stephen O’Sullivan, 44, who was self-isolating, spotted his neighbour Darren Ankers brave the cold to go skiing down the street with his wife.

He said: ‘They were supposed to be going to the Alps but it got cancelled so I guess they thought this was the next best thing!’

A red sunset is seen over Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, on Saturday evening as temperatures are expected to plummet to -2C in the south of England on Sunday morning

Cold conditions are expected to remain for the rest of the week yet there are no weather warnings in place from Tuesday onwards which is set to be cloudy and mild with rain at times across southern and central England. Pictured: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear

England endured its coldest night of the winter so far on Saturday night, with Redesdale Camp in Northumberland seeing lows of -11.1C overnight, while Scotland recorded lows of -11.6C in the Highlands. 

Britons were warned to take care on icy stretches which could lead to difficult driving conditions across much of the UK, with injuries from slips and falls also a risk amid a blast of cold air from Scandinavia and the Arctic.

Temperatures were expected to remain as low as -9C in northern parts of the UK early on Saturday, with more snow predicted to fall over the Pennines, North York Moors and the high ground of Wales, the Met Office said.   

Britons were warned to take care on icy stretches on Saturday, with injuries from slips and falls also a risk amid a blast of cold air from Scandinavia and the Arctic. Pictured: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear

Britain is braced for another warning of ice and freezing fog tomorrow after England suffered its coldest night of the winter so far and a man was seen skiing down a road in Durham after his holiday to the Alps was cancelled

Stephen O’Sullivan, 44, who was self-isolating, spotted his neighbour Darren Ankers brave the cold to go skiing down the street

Pictured: A couple walk their dog through heavy snow in Harrogate, North Yorkshire today after England recorded its coldest night of the winter so far

Pictured: A jogger runs through a part in East London today as yellow weather warnings for ice remained in place across much of the UK today

It follows heavy snowfall which hit much of the UK on Friday, causing chaos on the roads as cars overturned, emergency service vehicles skidded off the road, and motorway traffic ground to a halt. 

The Met Office warned that some areas of northwest Scotland could experience flooding over the weekend due to heavy rain which is expected to move across the region on Sunday. 

Forecaster Craig Snell told MailOnline that temperatures as low as -5C and -7C are expected across the English-Wales border and the Midlands tonight with the rest of the week feeling ‘less cold’ and drier across the UK. 

Heavy snowfall hit much of the UK on Friday, causing chaos on the roads as cars overturned, emergency service vehicles skidded off the road, and motorway traffic ground to a halt. 

Britons were told to remain cautious when venturing out into the hazardous conditions brought by the cold snap on Friday, which forecasters have warned could be the precursor to a dump of snow and strong winds from Siberia of the kind last seen during 2018 when the memorable Beast from the East struck.   

Although all of the UK is under strict ‘stay at home’ orders – with exceptions such as for essential work – to stem the spread of coronavirus, drivers were warned to be careful on the roads as temperatures plummeted.

Britons have been warned to beware icy stretches which could lead to difficult driving conditions across much of the UK, with injuries from slips and falls also a risk amid a blast of cold air from Scandinavia and the Arctic. Pictured: Weather warningd in place

Pictured: Two women walk a dog at Birling Gap in East Sussex today as the fog finally lifts following a sub-zero night

Pictured: A man walks past Friston Church in East Sussex on Saturday as a thick fog engulfs the morning

Pictured: People head outdoors for a run on a cold frosty morning on Wimbledon Common, London on Saturday

The Government is urging people to stay at home to save lives in the wake of a spike in coronavirus deaths over the past days 

Pictured: A man exercises on Wimbledon Common today as temperatures plummeted overnight to -11.1C in northern England

Pictured: Kayakers travel down the River Avon on a cold and foggy morning in Warwick today

Forecasters predict that the cold spell affecting much of the UK is due to continue, with temperatures expected to remain slightly below average into next week. Pictured: Warwick today

Pictured: Thick fog on the River Avon today as the Met Office issued yellow weather warnings for ice across much of Britain

Yellow weather warnings are in place for ice across most of the UK this morning, with only southern parts of Scotland escaping the freezing conditions which are set to last until Monday. Pictured: Harrogate last night

Temperatures are expected to remain as low as -9C in northern parts of the UK this morning, with more snow predicted to fall over the Pennines, North York Moors and the high ground of Wales, the Met Office said. Pictured: Daybreak in Dunsden, Oxfordshire today

England endured its coldest night of the winter so far overnight, with Redesdale Camp in Northumberland seeing lows of -11.1C overnight, while Scotland recorded lows of -11.6 in the Highlands. Pictured: Dunsden, Oxfordshire

Forecaster Greg Dewhurst told MailOnline the freezing conditions are pushing over the north and north east of the UK from Scandinavia and the Arctic. Pictured: Oxfordshire today

The A1 in County Durham was yesterday brought to a standstill with motorists enduring hour-long tailbacks because of problems caused during the snow, including a stalled truck. 

Gritters, snow ploughs and salt-spreaders were on the roads early on Friday morning to try to make the tarmac as safe as possible. Drivers in the North East were told to only take to the roads if absolutely necessary as the weather caused huge logjams.

Highways England tweeted: ‘We are currently monitoring heavy snowfall which is causing disruption in the area of County Durham. Traffic officers and gritters are out patrolling the area. With delays reaching 60 mins on the A1M southbound we are advising drivers to only travel if essential.’

In nearby Otterburn, Northumberland, a lorry skidded round a tight bend and crashed through the barriers. It is pictured coming to a rest tilted slightly to one side on a steep bank, while part its front damaged. 

COUNTY DURHAM: The A1 in County Durham was brought to a standstill on Friday with motorists enduring hour-long tailbacks because of problems caused during the snow, including a stalled truck

NORTHUMBERLAND: An HGV lorry lies overturned on the A68 in Otterburn, Northumberland, this morning, where conditions were snowy on Friday

HARROGATE: In Harrogate, Yorkshire, cars and pedestrians were seen braving blizzard-like conditions as the snow pelted down upon them on Friday

DERBYSHIRE: Police share image of overturned cars where motorists have fallen foul to the icy road conditions on Friday

GATESHEAD: A romantic image saw a frosted-tipped Angel Of The North, in Gateshead, looming over acres of land covered in snow on Friday

SOMERSET: A fire engine yesterday skidded down a bank on the side of the road as it responded to a call in icy conditions 

Thames Valley Police, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, said: ‘Please take extra care when driving this morning as some roads could be icy. If you’re driving this morning, please fully de-ice your car windows, adapt your driving to the conditions, keep well back from vehicles in front, and leave extra time for travel.’ 

Surrey Police warned that just because the roads have been gritted it ‘does not ensure that they are entirely ice free! Drive safely and be aware that black ice on roads is possible.’   

Will the Beast from the East be back? Forecasters spot same ‘stratospheric warming’ that caused chaos in 2018… spelling return on Siberian winds 

The Beast from the East was the name given to the freezing winds that came to Britain at the end of February 2018 from Siberia, which were caused by the jump in temperatures over the Arctic. 

The cold spell saw temperatures in parts of Britain drop as low as -10C and brought snow to much of the country. The weather was so cold in Brecon Beacons national park that an entire waterfall froze solid.

Sixteen people died in winter-related deaths, including a seven-year-old girl from Loos, Cornwall, who was hit by a car that slid on ice.  

The cold spell was caused by a jump in temperatures high over the Arctic, known by meteorologists as ‘sudden stratospheric warming’.

The phenomenon, which in Britain usually leads to cold periods, begins 30km (18 miles) into the atmosphere in the high altitude jet stream, which usually flows from west to east, bringing relatively warm and wet air from the Atlantic into the UK. 

A disturbance hits the jet stream, pushing its waves down towards the Arctic and reversing the stream from east to west. As the air is compressed over this region, it begins to warm.

This leads to high pressure over the North Atlantic, blocking the usual flow of mild air that flows into Britain from the west.

Instead, colder air from the east is sucked over the British Isles, resulting in colder temperatures.

The same conditions that brought snow storms three years ago are forming again high up in the atmosphere.

Dr Richard Hall, an expert in SSWs from the University of Bristol, said it ‘loads the dice’ or ‘tips the odds’ in favour of another blast of heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures from Siberia. 

The cold snap comes as the same conditions that brought snow storms three years ago are said to be forming again high up in the atmosphere. 

The ‘sudden stratospheric warming’ (SSW) event happens when the temperature in the stratosphere soars by 50C (122F). This ‘reverses’ Britain’s wind pattern, from the warmer west out in the Atlantic to the east – and Siberia.

It can take two weeks for the effects of a SSW to be felt. This was the case in February 2018 with the infamous Beast from the East, which saw much of the UK gripped by travel chaos and school closures amid heavy snow.

The cold spell saw temperatures in parts of Britain drop as low as -10C and brought snow to much of the country. The weather was so cold in Brecon Beacons national park that an entire waterfall froze solid.

Sixteen people died in winter-related deaths, including a seven-year-old girl from Loos, Cornwall, who was hit by a car that slid on ice. 

Dr Richard Hall, an expert in SSWs from the University of Bristol, said it ‘loads the dice’ or ‘tips the odds’ in favour of another blast of heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures from Siberia. 

A study by experts at the Universities of Bristol, Exeter and Bath shows how dramatic meteorological changes above the North Pole can have severe consequences for the weather in the UK. 

During an SSW the stratosphere – the layer six to 31 miles above the Earth’s surface – can increase in temperature by up to 50C over a matter of days.

This disturbance can travel down through the atmosphere to the Earth’s surface and cause shifts in the jet stream, the fast-moving air currents that cool Europe.

UK experts studied 40 stratospheric warming episodes from the last six decades in the latest study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research. 

Dr Hall said an SSW happens ‘every two years in three’ and one is ‘taking place at the moment’.  In 2018 there was an SSW event two weeks before the ‘Beast from the East’ brought 50cm (20in) snowfalls. 

However Dr Hall said only two thirds of SSWs reach the surface and the current one could ‘just peter out’.

He added: ‘The main area of impact is over Siberia where you get intense cold and that then extends westwards toward Europe.  We are right on the edge of this and so slight variations can affect if it reaches us.’ 

The phenomenon, which in Britain usually leads to cold periods, begins 30km (18 miles) into the atmosphere in the high altitude jet stream, which usually flows from west to east, bringing relatively warm and wet air from the Atlantic into the UK. 

A disturbance hits the jet stream, pushing its waves down towards the Arctic and reversing the stream from east to west. As the air is compressed over this region, it begins to warm.

This leads to high pressure over the North Atlantic, blocking the usual flow of mild air that flows into Britain from the west.

Instead, colder air from the east is sucked over the British Isles, resulting in colder temperatures.   

Madrid is paralysed by first heavy SNOW in fifty years: Army is called in to save drivers in Spanish capital that usually only has a sprinkling of snowflakes every year

By Sam Baker and Natalia Penza for MailOnline 

Drivers in Madrid had to be rescued from their cars today after unprecedented heavy snowfall caused by Storm Filomena wreaked havoc across Spain, leaving thousands stranded.

The M30 and M40 motorways near to the Spanish capital were among 400 roads on which traffic was affected by the heavy snowfall.

Madrid city council called on citizens to stay at home and avoid non-essential travel as a result of the unusual blizzard. Ten regions, including the Spanish capital, were placed on red alert earlier today, with more heavy snowfalls predicted. 

Thousands of motorists were left trapped in their cars in the Spanish capital of Madrid because of unprecedented snowfall

The Spanish Unit for Military Emergencies deployed 147 soldiers to help rescue drivers who had been left stranded because of the snow

The M-30 and M-40 motorways near to the Spanish capital were among 400 roads affected by the heavy snow

Madrid city council called on citizens to stay at home and avoid non-essential travel as a result of the unusual blizzard

Emergency services worked through the night to help rescue stranded motorists, with heavy snowfall caused by Storm Filomena leaving cars and lorries alike stuck on Spanish motorways

Speaking to Spanish television RNE from her car, one woman said: ‘I drove to see my husband in hospital and have been stuck here for three hours. It’s a journey which should take 15 minutes.’ 

The Spanish Unit for Military Emergencies, which deployed 147 soldiers to help stranded drivers, tweeted to say: ‘We continue the rescue of vehicles on the A4, A5, M40 and M607.’ 

Emergency services said around 1,000 trapped motorists had been reached by the early hours of this morning.

Carlos Novillo, director of Madrid Emergencies, described the situation as critical but added: ‘We’re still working on reaching cars trapped on the M40 and M506 motorways.

Emergency services said around 1,000 trapped motorists had been reached by the early hours of this morning

Carlos Novillo, director of Madrid Emergencies, described the situation as critical but that emergency services were still working to rescue people on the A4, A5, M40 and M607

Ten regions, including the Spanish capital, were placed on red alert earlier today, with more heavy snowfalls predicted

Airport staff at Madrid’s Barajas Airport play in the snow after flights were suspended because of the heavy snowfall that swept across the Spanish capital

The heavy snowfall caused by Storm Filomena completely covers this parked plane at Madrid’s Barajas Airport, which has suspended all flights

‘We’re going to reach everyone and help them get to safety.’

Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos added: ‘We are in the grip of an historic storm and obviously it’s had a huge knock-on effect on transport.’

On the A4 in Madrid, the Red Cross set out to deliver food packages to lorry drivers who were also trapped in their vehicles because of the snow. 

Meteorologists had predicted Friday’s snowfall to reach almost eight inches with temperatures hovering around freezing. 

With flights out of Madrid’s Barajas Airport, people have been left lying on the floor waiting on news about their flights

Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos added: ‘We are in the grip of an historic storm and obviously it’s had a huge knock-on effect on transport’

Madrid also closed Barajas Airport on Friday night as a result of the chaotic weather which made flying impossible

Meteorologists had predicted Friday’s snowfall to reach around 20cm with temperatures hovering around freezing

Madrid also closed Barajas Airport on Friday night as a result of the chaotic weather which made flying impossible.

At least 50 flights to Madrid, Malaga, Tenerife and Cueta were cancelled as a result of the airport shutdown.

Aena, who controls all of Spain’s airports, tweeted: ‘Owing to the forecast of snow and for security, Madrid Barajas airport will remain closed throughout Saturday’.

The airport’s closure came after the Real Madrid team were left trapped on a runway for four hours last night before being given a go-ahead to take off. 

Despite the chaos for drivers, some people in the Spanish capital took the rare opportunity to enjoy the snowfall

Skiers were seen gliding through the Puerta del Sol plaza in central Madrid, while one man was spotted making his way through the capital with his sled dogs

Car salesman Javier Talanco (pictured) took his five huskies out for a spin in surreal scenes after historic snowfall left the city looking more like Reykjavik

On top of the airport closure, Madrid city council confirmed that all bus services in the capital had been suspended

Madrid city council said that in addition to Madrid’s airport closure, all high-speed rail services between the capital and the southeastern cities of Alicante and Valencia had been suspended.

A record temperature of -35.6 degrees C was recorded at Vega de Lourdes in Leon, northern Spain, the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) said. Bus services within Madrid have also been halted for now.

Despite the chaos for drivers, some people in the Spanish capital took the rare opportunity to enjoy the snowfall.

High-speed train services to southeastern cities such as Alicante and Valencia had been stopped because of the snow

A few brave people decided to head out into the city and battle against the heavy snowfall

Huge areas of Spain, including Madrid, have been left blanketed in a thick layer of snow after Storm Filomena wrought havoc overnight

A puppy plays in the thick snow in Madrid earlier this morning after the Spanish capital was set upon by Storm Filomena

A woman wrapped up in warm clothing braves the heavy snowfall as she walks through a street in Madrid this morning

Skiers were seen gliding through the Puerta del Sol plaza in central Madrid, while one man was spotted making his way through the capital with his sled dogs.

Car salesman Javier Talanco took his five huskies out for a spin in surreal scenes after historic snowfall left the city looking more like Reykjavik.

Javier, who practices the dog-powered sport of mushing but normally in the mountains, treated the children of neighbours to rides on his sled after the heaviest snowfall in Madrid in at least 50 years.

He said afterwards: ‘They have snow in their blood and as soon as they saw it out of the window, they started getting nervous and wouldn’t stop playing.’  

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