Temperature to fall to -20 in big freeze

WINTER is predicted to roar in with a vengeance this week with a savage Arctic freeze likely to last for at least three weeks.

Temperatures could plummet to as low as -20C as Britain is plunged into weeks of shivering misery, forecasters warned.

The UK faces the coldest and iciest spell of winter so far as another “Beast from the East” roars in from Russia and the Arctic, they said.

And it could be the middle of February before any break from harsh frosts, ice and sub-zero temperatures.

An unusually mild Christmas has seen the mercury rise into double figures with the coming Arctic blast set to deliver a “real shock to the system”.

Snow, accompanied by strong winds, is expected to fall across most of Scotland by the end of the week or the beginning of next week.

The Met Office said that much of the UK will see rain this week, with showers turning wintry as temperatures fall by the weekend, with the potential for the coldest spell so far. Although the north will by far see the lowest temperatures, the entire country is braced for freezing temperatures and showers.

The AA has warned drivers to prepare for wintry conditions and guard against the threat of black ice.