-Warning of ice forming on untreated surfaces
By KERRY MCQUEENEY
Snow way! Gracie-Mai Hochin, one, walks through the snow in Princetown, Dartmoor, Devon, for the first time (left). She is joined right by her friend Seanna Evans, oneTemperatures are set to plunge as low as -11C this week as Arctic winds bring in a big freeze with ice and snow expected to blanket the countryside, forecasters said today.
Parts of Britain were waking up this morning to up to two inches of snow as the longest spell of cold weather so far this winter sets in.
The chill is being caused by a high pressure system hanging over Scandinavia and western Russia which is set to push raw, easterly winds towards the UK as the week progresses.
Winter wonderland: A hiker walks through snowy woodland near Princetown, Devon, today after snowfall hit the region overnight for the first time this winterThe west of England and Wales was covered in snow overnight and the Met Office has warned up to four inches of snow could yet fall on higher ground. They have issued a warning of severe cold weather across much of England until at least Thursday.
Paul Mott, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said: 'There has been a sprinkling of snow overnight over parts of Wales, Devon, Somerset and Hampshire.
'It has mainly been over hills - with accumulations of up to 5cm in some areas - but there have also been some falls on lower ground locally.
Snow: A motorist clears her car before setting off in Brynmawr, south Wales, after significant snowfall in the area overnight
The Department of Health issued a 'Level 2' cold-weather alert running for the next two to three days, which is triggered when low temperatures give rise to significant health risks.It warned that low temperatures can especially be dangerous for the young and the elderly or those with chronic disease.
Yesterday the countryside was glazed in snow, frost and mist. Ducks were pictured skirting across the water in the icy waters of Derwentwater, near Keswick, in the Lake District.
Dan Williams, of the Met Office, said: ‘This is certainly the longest run of colder weather we will have seen so far this winter.
'There’s cold air pushing in from the east, and it’s looking very wintry over the next few days and might last for the first half of February.’
Plummeting temperatures: Sheep in snow near Merthyr, South Wales today as it was revealed it will be as cold as -11C later this week
Skiing conditions: Hill walker Richard Walker, from Aberdare, in Powys, South Wales, today as the area is blanketed with snow for the first time this winter 
Wrapped up warm: These highland cows stand in the snow near Princetown, Devon, todayMeanwhile, residents all over the country were bracing themselves for the Siberian weather front heading for Britain.
Residents in a Cornish village have bought their own snowplough and gritter after they were cut off for a week in a blizzard during previous winters.
The Badgall and Laneast Action Group (Blag), have raised £2,650 to buy the plough and mechanical salt spreader.
Two farmers in the area have been designated to operate them during heavy snowfall.
Blag said residents 'voted with their pockets' after being cut off during the last two winters.
Chilly: A Belted Galloway cow feeds on Birdlip Hill, Gloucestershire, today as temperatures plummet across the country
Grim weather: A dog walker trudges through the snow with his dog in Brynmawr as snow falls across south Wales
Freezing: A woman and her dog walks along snowy footpaths in Princetown, Devon, after snowfall hit the region overnight for the first time this wintersource: dailymail
Posts
