#cold-snap

#cold-snap

France is currently in the grip of a cold snap which blanketed large parts of the country in snow on Thursday. The 'manteau blanc' (white coat) was caused by a polar vortex which has become stuck over the country leading to unusually cold temperatures and ice and snow in lowland areas. According to Météo France, this will continue into the weekend, with Saturday predicted to be the coldest day.

Cold Arctic air from the north is firmly in charge of the UK's weather, bringing the first notable cold snap of this autumn and giving an early taste of winter weather. As a result, winter hazards are likely through the next few days, with snow and ice a particular hazard, and the coldest conditions likely on Wednesday and Thursday. Wintry showers will affect areas exposed to the brisk northerly wind, in particular Northern Ireland, southwest Wales, southwest England, northeast England and across the northern half of Scotland.

The forecaster has warned that an icy northerly wind means temperatures in some parts of the country could drop to -10C as the first cold snap of the season takes hold. In London, temperatures will remain at around 5C through the day until Friday, with colder conditions at night. The capital felt significantly colder throughout Monday despite sunny spells throughout the day.

France is expecting its first cold snap of the winter this week, with freezing temperatures and snow forecast for lowland areas. French weather forecaster, La Chaîne Météo, has warned that this week marks the arrival of "real winter weather". With a low-pressure system descending from the North Sea, forecasters warned in the weekly bulletin that rain and snow, even at lower altitudes, were on the horizon for later in the week.

As Storm Claudia retreats to the south, high pressure to the north west will drive a cold northerly flow from the Arctic across the UK. This will bring much colder conditions than of late and, whilst generally drier than recent days, there will also be a risk of wintry hazards, such as snow and ice. There will be widespread frosts across the UK, with temperatures dipping as low as -7C in places next week, and daytime temperatures staying in single figures across the country.