Britain’s big freeze shows little sign of relenting with sub-zero temperatures set to bring more misery to commuters up and down the country in the coming days.
Motorists taking to the roads have been warned to expect hazardous driving conditions again with ice and freezing fog forecast across parts of the UK.
Further flurries of snow could also fall in some parts of England with experts predicting a temperature low of -10C at night as the shivering spell of weather continues to sweep in from Siberia.
Victoria Kettley, forecaster for MeteoGroup, the weather arm of the Press Association, said: “Tonight is going to be mostly clear and dry but bitterly, bitterly cold. Across much of England and Wales we will see temperatures dropping to between -4C and -8C and in local spots it could get as low as -10C overnight.”
Six severe weather alerts are in place warning of ice on untreated roads and pavements across much of northern, central and eastern England. Issuing yellow alerts, which urge people to “be aware”, the Met Office said the public should be aware of “risk of disruption to travel”.
Ms Kettley added: “The snow which fell over the weekend is slowly melting and keeping the roads wet. This moisture then turns to ice when the temperature drops causing dangerous conditions on untreated routes.”
Overnight temperatures dipped to around -6C in Scotland and northern England and between 0C and -1C in southern England, with pockets of freezing fog developing in some low-lying areas. Wintry showers also hit parts if East Anglia, Lincolnshire and the East Midlands.
The Highways Agency confirmed gritters were sent out to treat and clear roads in eastern areas and during the early hours.
The thick blanket of snow that fell over parts of the UK at the weekend caused major travel disruption with a spike in road crashes and breakdowns. A handful of schools were also forced to close on Monday due to the adverse weather conditions, while Heathrow Airport axed half of all flights on Sunday night.
The RAC said it had seen the busiest February weekend in its history, with 41% more calls than usual.
