Uk hit by snow in 10 days as coldest winter for 70 years to hit

Temperatures will sink below freezing with weather models revealing the first snow will blanket parts of Scotland around mid-month. Freezing air from the North Pole will descend across the

UK swept in by low-pressure stretching across the north Atlantic from Greenland to the northwest coast of Ireland. Long-range weather forecasts have started to agree on the autumn outlook

with Northern Europe facing an unusually harsh winter. Cold weather will be driven by a pattern of atmospheric blocking which tends to stop milder westerly winds reaching the UK while

opening the gates to colder easterlies. Such a block was the driver for last year’s savage Beast from the East which brought a historic whiteout across Britain during the final weeks of

winter. Thermometers will start to fall around the middle of this month heralding the run up to a brutally cold end to the year. Exacta Weather forecaster James Madden said: “October is now

looking like it will turn out to be colder than average with more of a chance of something wintery setting in through the second half of the month. READ MORE: UK WEATHER WARNING: HURRICANE

LORENZO STRIKES – 90MPH WINDS “There is a strong chance of widespread frosts and the chance of snowfall which will set the scene for November. “This will pave the way for what is shaping up

to be a colder than average winter with some extreme cold weather events. “While these could start to make an impact within the next few weeks they will be particularly troublesome from

December onwards. “Snow events have been few and far between in recent years, but this winter is looking favourable to bring snow event after snow event as weather systems from the Atlantic

clash with cold stagnated air over the UK.” A significant Arctic freeze threatens to bring the first major snowfall of the season to parts of Britain as soon as next month, he warned.

Flagging solar activity leading to cooler than normal Gulf Stream waters will in part drive the cold weather, he added. It could mean Britain is gearing up for one of the most savage winters

on record rivalling the mega-chiller of 1963 – the coldest for 200 years. Mr Madden said: “The unusually cold weather will in part be due to a period of low solar activity. “This is

relevant as solar energy effects ocean currents including the Gulf Stream currents which have a knock-on effect on the jet stream brining cold air in the UK and bringing these weather

patterns. “Applying these factors to long-range weather indications can successfully allow us to identify cold weather patterns coming up. “Similar methods have allowed us to identify some

previous record-breaking cold weather events such as those seen in 2010 and 2013 when cold weather lasted into spring.” Newly-released European forecasts predict warmer weather across

southern parts of the Continent while the north turns colder through the coming weeks. A ‘battle zone’ in between will lead to heavy precipitation across the UK and Scandinavia, according to

The Weather Company. Its chief meteorologist Dr Todd Crawford said: “The first half of October looks quite cool, relative to normal, across Scandinavia and northern Europe, as atmospheric

blocking in the North Atlantic forces cooler northerly flow. “The recent blocking may be a harbinger of things to come this season, signalling that the first cold winter since 2012 is a

distinct possibility in January and February, 2020. “In the weather “battle zone” between the cooler air to the north and warmer air to the south, we expect heavier-than-normal precipitation

from the UK across northern Europe and southern Scandinavia, with drier-than-normal conditions across the far northern and southern tiers.” The chilly forecasts have prompted bookies to

slash the odds on winter weather and records falling this month. Ladbrokes is offering 5/4 on the coldest October ever while Coral has set 5-4 from 2-1 on a White Christmas. Coral has 5-1

for snow in London with 1-2 for the coldest winter on record and 6-4 for snow anywhere in the UK this month. Spokesman John Hill said: “The falling temperatures so far this month have

prompted an early flurry of bets on us having a White Christmas this year. “As always in our White Christmas betting, the Scottish and northern cities in England have the shortest odds on

snow fall but we are also seeing bets on London seeing the white stuff this year,” Alex Apati of Ladbrokes added: "We're expecting a bitter few weeks ahead as we strap ourselves in

for the coldest October ever.”