UK weather: Freezing temperatures and strong winds on the way

Cold and gusty winds are drawing in from across North Sea

Cold and gusty winds are drawing in from across the North Sea (PA)

Cold weather and icy stretches will continue throughout the UK on Monday, with wintry showers forecasted in hilly areas.

As cold winds draw in from the North East from across the North Sea, the Artic conditions seen so far in 2021 are here to stay. 

After an icy and frosty morning across the British Isles, persistent showers will be seen in the South East and across East Anglia, according to the Met Office. Those areas can also expect gusts of around 40mph. 

Further north, there may be some wintry showers over the Pennines, but it will be drier and brighter elsewhere, with some sunny spells in Northern areas.

All four nations will experience temperatures below average for this time of year, hovering around 4-6 C in the daytime.

Some areas have already experienced much chillier conditions, with Loch Glascanoch in the Scottish Highlands dropping to a Baltic -9.1C yesterday. 

Tonight, it will feel breezy in the south with cloudy skies in England and Wales, according to the Met Office. 

Heading into Tuesday, more showers are expected from the North Sea, and there could be snow for parts of East Scotland as temperatures fall again. 

With the Siberian winds pushing in from the east, biting weather and ice is forecast all week.

It will stay bright with some wintry showers in England and Wales on Wednesday, but clouding over for Scotland and Northern Ireland where rain and snow may arrive later.

And as people wake up to frosty windows today, they’ll also face ‘flat battery Monday’ as they try and get their vehicles working for the first time in weeks. 

Halford has warned that many will face problems starting their cars due to combination of cold weather and inactivity after the Christmas break and coronavirus lockdowns.