Arctic blast to wreak havoc: Britain to be colder than Iceland with mercury dipping to -12ºC

An Arctic blast is poised to bring frigid nights to Britain next week, potentially colder than Iceland. A northerly wind is expected to bring in cold Arctic air across the UK, prompting the UK Health Security Agency to issue cold health warnings. The Met Office has also implemented yellow severe weather warnings.

While initial snow and ice accumulation will be concentrated in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with up to 10 centimetres in low-lying areas, the rest of the UK will also face freezing conditions and later, snow. Temperatures may drop significantly, potentially falling below those in Iceland.

The Met Office forecasts temperatures around -7ºC in Reykjavik on Wednesday (Jan 17), while WX Charts predict parts of northern Scotland could plummet as low as -12ºC.

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A vast 756-mile-long weather warning covers the country, bringing snow and ice from Lewick in Shetland, Scotland, to Tenby in Wales. Yellow weather warnings are in place from Sunday through Thursday (Jan 18), initially covering northern Scotland and the Shetland Islands with snow, ice, and a wind warning.

As the week progresses, the warning extends to Northern Ireland on Monday (Jan 15), followed by the Arctic air reaching parts of Wales and the Midlands on Tuesday (Jan 16). Wednesday and Thursday bring a 600-mile snow warning, encompassing extensive areas of the UK.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Chris Bulmer explained: "Snow showers from Sunday onwards are most likely to move inland from coasts exposed to northerly winds. The focus of snow showers will be over northern Scotland, but parts of the North Sea and Irish Sea coasts may also see some snow at times.

"There are a couple of weather systems for Tuesday and Wednesday which we are keeping an eye on that bring the potential for disruptive snow for some regions. With cold air firmly in place, any weather systems that move across the country next week will bringing mainly snowfall inland. Models are currently showing us a variety of options for both systems and we’ll be able to add more details in the coming days," he adds.

(With inputs from agencies)