Winter

Britain: Coldest Christmas Day EVER (-18C)

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Cold crossing: A frozen River Severn at Ironbridge near Telford, Shropshire, as the icy December continues

Britons awoke yesterday to the coldest Christmas Day on record.

In parts of the country, the mercury touched minus 18C, chillier than Lapland, and few places saw temperatures rise above freezing.

At 8am in Shawbury, Shropshire, it was minus 15.9C and in Altnaharra, in the Highlands of Scotland, minus 18.2C.

Forecasters predict this December is likely to be the coldest on record. The previous coldest was in 1890, when the average temperature for the whole month for England was minus 0.8C.

Read moreBritain: Coldest Christmas Day EVER (-18C)

UK: December Set To Be Coldest For A Century

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– If this is global warming, I think the species will survive (Telegraph):

It’s not just Britain. Half of Europe has been paralysed by the continuing effects of global warming. Belgian drivers have been advised to stay at home, Germany’s roads are void and inert, Charles de Gaulle airport is barely functioning, the Netherlands is frozen solid.

Dec. 25 — As the icy weather set to continue, the UK could be heading for its coldest December since 1890, forecasters said.

Temperatures were expected to remain below freezing on Boxing Day with spells of rain, sleet and snow in northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of west Wales and far west England, spreading eastwards overnight.

But they added that temperatures could rise as high as 10C (50F) by the middle of next week as a new weather system moves in from the Atlantic.

Those braving the bleak mid-winter to get away for Christmas yesterday faced reduced rail services, icy roads and continuing cancellations and delays to flights.

Read moreUK: December Set To Be Coldest For A Century

Australia: Bitter Summer Freeze Bites Eastern States As Summer Gives Way To Snow And Cold

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Summer in Australia!


  • Victoria, NSW hit by bitter cold snap and snow
  • Wind and rain wreak havoc in other states
  • Comes as Europe also hit by big freeze


Hikers at Charlotte Pass lookout in the NSW Snowy Mountains were greeted with 10cm of fresh snow as a cold snap hits the eastern coast of Australia. Picture: Steve Cuff

THONGS and board shorts gave way to beanies and scarves yesterday as summer gave way to a wintry blast of snow and icy temperatures in the country’s southeast.

While the bitter freeze in Europe continues, Victoria and NSW have had a cold snap of their own, with off-season ski slopes transformed into winter wonderlands.

About 30cm of snow fell at Perisher in NSW yesterday, while Victoria’s Mount Hotham received a 10cm dusting on Sunday.

Charlotte’s Pass in the NSW Snowy Mountains also received a 10cm sprinkling of snow, prompting would-be bushwalkers to don clothing more suitable for skiing.

It was surprising to see the Kosciuszko Chalet Hotel blanketed with snow at this time of year, resort manager Michelle Lovius told The Australian yesterday.

“I’m sitting inside in my scarf and beanie,” she said.

“When you walk in it, it’s up past your ankles and it’s just started snowing heavily again. ”

In Sydney yesterday, there were blustery winds and unseasonably low temperatures of just 13C. The western suburb of Horsley Park recorded 9.8C and the Blue Mountains dropped to -2C.

Read moreAustralia: Bitter Summer Freeze Bites Eastern States As Summer Gives Way To Snow And Cold

Winter Blast Brings Britain to a Standstill

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Related articles:

– Britain Could Be Shivering in Temperatures Colder Than Siberia, Snow Storms Could Put 1,000 Firms Out of Business


No traffic on the M61 in Lancashire as heavy snow shuts part of the motorway

Millions of Britons faced travel misery today with planes grounded, rail services cancelled and roads rendered impassable on what is traditionally the busiest weekend before Christmas.

Plunging temperatures and heavy snow saw large swathes of the country grind to a standstill, as London’s Gatwick Airport closed its runway and British Airways cancelled flights at Heathrow.

Overnight blizzards and plummeting temperatures buckled a huge chunk of the nation’s road and rail networks, as the latest blast of wintery weather showed little sign of easing.

This weekend is expected to be the busiest for retailers and commuters in the run-up to December 25 but many are expected to face chaos as the transport network bears the brunt of the big freeze.

Air passengers have already faced disruption at Exeter, London City, Aberdeen and Cardiff airports, while Belfast City was closed last night, with flights expected to resume at 11am.

Southampton Airport was closed until 12pm and flights to certain destinations from Birmingham were also grounded.

Delays and cancellations were expected at Belfast International while a spokesman for Heathrow said the airport was open but would be “challenged” today.

“Heathrow is fully operational but we are expecting more snow and planning for the worst,” he said.

Read moreWinter Blast Brings Britain to a Standstill

Britain Braces For Weeks of Transport Chaos

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Britain is gritting its teeth and its roads today in anticipation of the return of Arctic conditions, with heavy snow and ice storms likely to bring wide-scale disruption. With many parts of the country only just beginning to return to normal after weeks of sub-zero temperatures, the Met Office said up to 25cm of snow was expected to fall in parts of Scotland, North Wales, Northern Ireland and the West Country. Overnight temperatures were likely to plunge to -12C on high ground and to -5C in London over the weekend. Today, the mercury is unlikely to rise much above freezing point even in major cities.

Full article: The Independent

Lighthouse at Cleveland Harbour Transformed Into ‘Ice Castle’

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Spectacular: A small break in the cloud lights up the ice encrusted lighthouse at Cleveland Harbour, on Lake Erie, Ohio


Usual conditions: The lighthouse looks completely different without its icy winter coating

The phenomenon was created by bone-chilling storms which have plagued the Midwest for days before sweeping through the Northeast and on into Canada. Hundreds of motorists have been stranded on a southern Ontario highway.

More snow fell yesterday in parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. The frigid temperatures stretched into the deep South, where hard freeze warnings were in effect overnight in much of Florida. Hundreds of schools were closed or opening late.

Canadian officials said about 150 of the estimated 300 people trapped in their vehicles on Highway 402 near Sarnia, Ontario, had been rescued, as many as a dozen by military helicopters.

Many people are staying with their vehicles. Sarnia is about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northeast of Detroit. Ontario Community Safety Minister Jim Bradley said he had no reports of deaths or injuries among the stranded.

Read moreLighthouse at Cleveland Harbour Transformed Into ‘Ice Castle’

Worst Snow Storm In 25 Years Traps 300 Motorists in Ontario

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Added: 15. Dezember 2010

Snow storm in Sarnia Ontario, Canada on the 402, video taken from inside/outside of a car, worst storm in the past 25 years.

* Storm that paralysed Midwest moves north into Canada
* Eight people killed in traffic accidents as bone-chilling temperatures grip much of America
* Five men lose their lives shovelling snow as 2 feet falls in just 24 hours
* But southern California bathes in balmy temperatures


‘Despair’: A truck is stranded on the Highway 402 near Sarnia, Ontario today. Up to 360 vehicles were trapped at one point

The Canadian military is racing to rescue more than 300 motorists who are trapped on a highway in the worst storm to hit Ontario in 25 years.

Some people were trapped for nearly 24 hours with snow piled up so high they could not open the doors of their cars on Highway 402 outside the town of Sarnia.

The military has mobilised a CC-130 Hercules airplane, two Griffons helicopters and an array of snowmobiles and four-wheel drive SUVs for the rescue effort.

They have reached some motorists just in the nick of time.

‘You really felt almost despair,’ Brandon Junkin, who had run out of gas and was trapped in his truck for nearly 24 hours with just a blanket to ward off the sub-zero temperatures, told CNN.

He was rescued when he heard a military helicopter hovering over him.

Read moreWorst Snow Storm In 25 Years Traps 300 Motorists in Ontario

Forecasters Predict UK Big Freeze Could Last Until Mid-February

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* Temperatures could break record low of -23C
* Hard frost between snowfalls means dangerous weekend conditions


Record: A walker trudges through deep snow during the first round off the Big Freeze in Braemar, Scotland, which could see record low temperatures this winter

Britain is bracing itself for fresh snowfalls tonight as a second bout of the Big Freeze is predicted to stretch its icy grip across the country.

Forecasters are predicting temperatures could fall below the current record low of minus 23C and that the bitter cold will extend into mid-February.

The dramatic change in weather conditions is due to arrive tonight with up to eight inches of snow drifting in on savage Arctic winds.

With severe weather warnings in place for ten regions, the cold is expected to first blow in through the east of Scotland and then push into Northern England overnight, creating icy conditions by rush hour tomorrow morning.

That will be followed by heavy snowfall throughout Thursday morning which will get steadily worse until the weekend.

‘Because we have already had a cold start in December and the first bout of snow, I wouldn’t be surprised if a record is broken this winter,’ said Mr Powell.

‘The lowest temperatures we are predicting at the moment will be -11c in Braemar, near Fort William in Scotland, but with a wind chill of -17, which is how it will actually feel to people there.

‘The record for Scotland is -23 at Braemar in 1919, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that goes this winter.

Read moreForecasters Predict UK Big Freeze Could Last Until Mid-February

Germany Brought To Near Standstill By 12 Hours of Solid Snowfall

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No way through: Huge snowfall obscures the view of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin

Not a single train ran without delays in the whole of the country.

In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in the west there were some 700 accidents on the autobahns during 12 hours of snowfall. And even international airports like Dusseldorf had to shut down on Monday night as the snow blew in.

Jack-knifed trucks littered the motorway network across the country.

Many fellow truckers trying to pull lorries free of snowdrifts found themselves suddenly trapped.

Rising temperatures at the weekend following by a plunging thermometer on Monday created black ice across the country. The S-Bahn network in Berlin that carries most commuters to work was severely delayed due to frozen points.

Hamburg saw 400 road accidents within 12 hours and in the former British army garrison town of Osnabrueck all public transport was suspended because of the state of the roads.

“It is absolute chaos here,“ an Osnabrueck police spokesman said.

On the A9 autobahn leading into Munich the traffic jam into the city reached 18 miles long. In Nuremberg a sports hall and stadium were closed due to the build up of ice and snow on the roof.

Read moreGermany Brought To Near Standstill By 12 Hours of Solid Snowfall

Minneapolis Metrodome Collapses In Snowstorm

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minneapolis Metrodome, where the Minnesota Vikings play, has collapsed during a snowstorm.

The Metrodome is operated by the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission. Its executive director, Bill Lester, said Sunday morning the damage is being assessed and the agency will issue a statement later. He says he has no details yet on what happened.

Minneapolis and much of the upper Midwest have been hit by a blizzard that has dumped up to 20 inches of snow in some areas.

Read moreMinneapolis Metrodome Collapses In Snowstorm

UK Big Freeze to Last at Least Another Month

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Shivering Britain can expect at least another month of bitterly cold temperatures with many parts failing to get much above zero until the middle of January, forecasters have warned.


Heavy snow fell on Scotland and northern England last week Photo: PA By Martin Evans 6:39PM GMT 09 Dec 2010

So far December has seen some of the coldest temperatures and heaviest snowfalls since 1981, but with no let up on the horizon, it could end up being the worst winter since 1910.

Parts of northern England and central Scotland have seen lows of (0F) -18C while the mercury has continued to drop in the south.

But apart from a brief respite over the coming weekend, when temperatures are expected to climb slightly, the cold snap is likely to continue throughout Christmas and well into January.

Drivers are being warned to remain vigilant and cautious as many road surfaces will be icy and treacherous for many weeks to come.

Read moreUK Big Freeze to Last at Least Another Month

US: Major Snowstorm This Weekend; Life-Threatening Cold to Grip Dakotas to New York

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– Life-Threatening Cold to Grip Dakotas to New York (AccuWeather)

Dangerously cold air, perhaps the coldest of this entire winter season, is poised to invade the eastern half of the country over the next few days. In many places, if actual temperatures don’t fall below zero, brutal winds will make it feel that way with life-threatening conditions resulting.

A major storm will bring heavy snow and strong winds to the Great Lakes and parts of the Midwest northeastward into portions of neighboring Canada this weekend.

Enough snow to shovel and plow will fall over this region, but the primary form of precipitation along the I-95 corridor will be drenching rain.

Travel in much of the region will be extremely dangerous especially as strong winds develop on the backside of the storm producing widespread blowing and drifting snow.

However, there are some forecast problems that remain with the storm, due to its complexity, track, dry air pockets, and changeover times in some locations from not only snow and ice to rain, but also back to snow and a freeze-up at the end.

Read moreUS: Major Snowstorm This Weekend; Life-Threatening Cold to Grip Dakotas to New York

UK: Food shelves empty and petrol running out as icy roads make deliveries impossible…

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And ATM’s are running out of cash:

– Cash machines are running out of money due to snow (Telegraph):

Cash machines are running out of money ahead of what is traditionally one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.

The heaviest snowfall for 20 years means security vans carrying cash are being prevented from making deliveries to their regular destinations.

High street bank HSBC confirmed yesterday that snow was causing problems for some of its drivers.

It reported that 7 per cent of its cash machines were closed yesterday and that if levels dropped any further, it would be reach “unacceptable levels”.

* Two pensioners die after collapsing in their gardens
* Milder temperatures expected tomorrow but falling again on Sunday
* Short-haul flights from Gatwick cancelled until 5pm
* Petrol forecourts run dry as deliveries are held up
* Rail networks cancel services for the third day running

Petrol forecourts were today running dry and food stores were struggling to replenish their shelves as icy conditions halted deliveries.

‘Critical’ shortages of petrol have been reported by the RMI Petrol Retailers Association, with remote areas being particularly badly affected.

Some fuel stations have also been accused of ‘cashing in’ on the crisis by increasing their prices – with one garage in Surrey putting up the cost of diesel per litre from £1.24 to £1.28 within the past four days.

The news came as snowfalls eased but temperatures plummeted even further, dropping -20.1C in Scotland and -7C in London and Birmingham overnight.

Read moreUK: Food shelves empty and petrol running out as icy roads make deliveries impossible…

UK Cold Weather Budget Already Overspent

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See also:

– UK: Food shelves empty and petrol running out as icy roads make deliveries impossible…

£100m cold weather payments ‘put hole in DWP budget’

The early bout of arctic weather has already triggered £100 million of extra benefits spending, more than the sum ministers had budgeted for the entire winter.


Around four million old and vulnerable people this week received the first cold weather payments of the year.

But the early arrival of wintry weather threatens to punch a hole in the budget of the Department of Work and Pensions, which makes the payments.

Low temperatures this week triggered extra payments to pensioners and other welfare recipients, who get £25 for each seven day period of extremely cold weather between 1 November and 31 March.

Payments are triggered when temperatures are recorded as falling to freezing point over seven consecutive days.

The first payments arrived in recipients’ accounts on Wednesday.

The DWP said it has spent £103 million on the payments this week.

However, the Treasury projection for cold weather payments this year had been only £76 million.

The Treasury said its projection is based on long-term averages for British winter temperatures.

Read moreUK Cold Weather Budget Already Overspent

Northern Europe counts cost of travel chaos causing big freeze

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See also:

– UK: Snow Closes Roads And Schools From Cornwall to Scotland, Temperatures As Low As Minus 20C In The Coming Days

– UK: Big Freeze Will Go On ‘For Weeks’

– Europe: Coldest Winter in 1,000 Years On Its Way, Connected To Gulf Stream Changes, Say Scientists

LONDON (Reuters) – Heavy snow caused travel chaos across much of northern Europe Thursday, keeping London’s Gatwick airport closed for a second day and disrupting road and rail travel in France, Germany and Switzerland.

Days of sub-zero temperatures and snow in Britain, beginning in Scotland and northern England and moving south, have halted flights and trains and could be costing the economy 1.2 billion pounds a day, according to insurer RSA.

Commuters struggled to get to work as Britain’s worst early winter weather in almost two decades showed no sign of easing.

Gatwick, Britain’s second busiest airport, said it would remain closed until at least 6 a.m. Friday. Edinburgh airport, operated by BAA, was expected to reopen by 4 p.m. on Thursday after closing all day Wednesday.

Amid widespread criticism of Britain’s inability to cope with bad weather, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond ordered a review of how transport operators had responded this week.

Read moreNorthern Europe counts cost of travel chaos causing big freeze

UK: Snow Closes Roads And Schools From Cornwall to Scotland, Temperatures As Low As Minus 20C In The Coming Days

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See also:

– UK: Big Freeze Will Go On ‘For Weeks’

– Europe: Coldest Winter in 1,000 Years On Its Way, Connected To Gulf Stream Changes, Say Scientists

Britain’s worst November snowfall for decades shut schools and roads from Cornwall to Scotland as forecasters warned that Siberian winds could bring temperatures as low as minus 20C in the coming days.



Deep snow and freezing conditions in the North East and Scotland were causing widespread travel disruption today, with icy temperatures everywhere else creating similar problems for commuters.

There is no sign of a let-up in the wintry weather, with bitter winds increasing and more parts of the UK including London facing snow in the coming days.

So far Scotland and the North East have been worst hit by snow, with more than 40cm in parts, and police have advised people to stay indoors for all but essential travel.

Forecasters warned the rest of the country is likely to be blanketed this week as the weather front moves west.

The severe conditions could also last well into next week, with rain, sleet and snow.

Aisling Creevey, of MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said Londoners should prepare for the possibility of snow tonight.

Read moreUK: Snow Closes Roads And Schools From Cornwall to Scotland, Temperatures As Low As Minus 20C In The Coming Days

UK: Big Freeze Will Go On ‘For Weeks’

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The big freeze will continue to grip Britain for weeks to come, forecasters said last night.


Motorists struggle as heavy snowfalls continue throught the UK Photo: AP

The predication came as more severe weather warnings were issued and parts of Scotland and North East England were hit by up to 16 ins of snow.

The snow will spread across the Pennines towards Manchester today and also move inland from eastern England towards the South East and London, the Met Office said.

A spokesman for the MeteoGroup forecasters said: “People should be bracing themselves for more cold weather for the working week and beyond.”

Gritters were out in force to clear main roads yesterday but conditions on minor roads in many areas were described as “treacherous”.

Police in the worst-hit areas warned motorists to drive only if their journeys were “absolutely essential” as the disruption caused by the earliest widespread snow for 17 years continued.

Read moreUK: Big Freeze Will Go On ‘For Weeks’

Winter Storms Batter UK, Worse to Come: Forecasters

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Severe weather alerts in the south and flood warnings in Wales and the Midlands as snow blankets parts of north and Scotland


A car negotiates the snow on the A93 near Glenshee, in the Grampians Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

Stormy wintry conditions continue to affect much of Britain with severe weather warnings in place for five southern counties and 14 flood warnings for Wales, the Midlands and the north-east.

In Cumbria, six vehicles were rescued by police after five inches (13cm) of snow forced The Kirkstone Pass to close for five hours on Monday morning.

The Highways Agency said flooding had closed one lane of the eastbound A27 near Chichester in West Sussex. Drivers were being delayed in the area.

By 6am today, more than an inch of rain had fallen at Shoreham Airport and at Farnham, Surrey.

The Meteorological Office has issued severe weather warnings for East and West Sussex, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and parts of Dorset.

In Hampshire, police offered to evacuate residents by boat after a road in Emsworth, near Portsmouth, was submerged under a metre of water. Residents of 50 properties are being offered shelter in a community centre.

Read moreWinter Storms Batter UK, Worse to Come: Forecasters

Snow to Hit Britain Next Week

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Related article:

–  Europe: Coldest Winter in 1,000 Years On Its Way, Connected To Gulf Stream Changes, Say Scientists

Winter will come early to Britain next week as snow is forecast for the north while the south will shiver in frosty sub-zero nights.


Snow could fall on high ground Photo: PA

The cold snap will seem worse after temperatures soared to 75F (23C) last weekend.

Forecasters warned snow is due in Scotland and possibly northern England next week, with frost as far south as southern England, which will see bitter 48F (9C) daytime maximum temperatures.

“A northerly air stream in the middle part of next week means coldest conditions will probably be in Scotland, with sleet or snow showers and snow settling on higher ground,” said forecaster Brian Gaze of independent forecasters The Weather Outlook.

“Even southern England will feel distinctly chilly.”

Forecasters Positive Weather Solutions have already predicted a ‘white-out’ winter almost as harsh as last winter – with widespread snow, temperatures down to -4F (-20C) and transport chaos.

Read moreSnow to Hit Britain Next Week

Europe: Coldest Winter in 1,000 Years On Its Way, Connected To Gulf Stream Changes, Say Scientists

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See also:

– Life on this Earth Just Changed: The North Atlantic Current is Gone

– Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico Has Stalled From BP Oil Disaster!

– Global Cooling and the New World Order:

The 58th Bilderberg Meeting will be held in Sitges, Spain 3 – 6 June 2010. The Conference will deal mainly with Financial Reform, Security, Cyber Technology, Energy, Pakistan, Afghanistan, World Food Problem, Global Cooling, Social Networking, Medical Science, EU-US relations.

Yes, ‘Global Cooling’ was on the Bilderberg agenda!

Global warming is a scam:

– Professor Harold Lewis: ‘Global Warming Is The Greatest And Most Successful Pseudoscientific Fraud I Have Seen In My Long Life’

– Kiwigate: Global Warming Scam Revealed in Court

Coldest winter in 1,000 years on its way

After the record heat wave this summer, Russia’s weather seems to have acquired a taste for the extreme.

Forecasters say this winter could be the coldest Europe has seen in the last 1,000 years.

The change is reportedly connected with the speed of the Gulf Stream, which has shrunk in half in just the last couple of years. Polish scientists say that it means the stream will not be able to compensate for the cold from the Arctic winds. According to them, when the stream is completely stopped, a new Ice Age will begin in Europe.

So far, the results have been lower temperatures: for example, in Central Russia, they are a couple of degrees below the norm.

“Although the forecast for the next month is only 70 percent accurate, I find the cold winter scenario quite likely,” Vadim Zavodchenkov, a leading specialist at the Fobos weather center, told RT. “We will be able to judge with more certainty come November. As for last summer’s heat, the statistical models that meteorologists use to draw up long-term forecasts aren’t able to predict an anomaly like that.”

In order to meet the harsh winter head on, Moscow authorities are drawing up measures to help Muscovites survive the extreme cold.

Most of all, the government is concerned with homeless people who risk freezing to death (The government? Sure!) if the forecast of the meteorologists come true. Social services and police are being ordered to take the situation under control even if they have to force the homeless to take help.

Read moreEurope: Coldest Winter in 1,000 Years On Its Way, Connected To Gulf Stream Changes, Say Scientists

Argentina Has Colder Winter Than Antartica, Spurring Record Energy Imports

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Argentina is importing record amounts of energy as the coldest winter in 40 years drives up demand and causes natural-gas shortages, prompting Dow Chemical Co. and steelmaker Siderar SAIC to scale back production.

Electricity supplied from Brazil and Paraguay rose to a daily combined record of about 1,000 megawatts on July 12, while consumption peaked at 20,396 megawatts three days later, according to Buenos Aires-based energy broker Cammesa. Shipments of liquefied natural gas are set to double this year.

Dow, Siderar and aluminum maker Aluar Aluminio Argentino SAIC are among companies closing plants, cutting output or seeking alternative energy sources after temperatures in parts of Argentina fell below those of Antarctica on July 15. Rising demand is exacerbating a shortage that began six years ago as economic growth accelerated and energy investment fell. The shortage is boosting costs as companies spend more to guarantee supplies.

“The situation is getting worse, because the shortage period is growing every year,” Gerardo Rabinovich, a director at the General Mosconi Energy Institute in Buenos Aires and an adviser to the opposition Radical Party, said in a telephone interview. “When this started in 2004, it lasted for about a week, then it was two weeks and now it’s more than a month.”

In July, temperatures in Buenos Aires were, on average, 1 degree Celsius below the usual low and high of 8 and 14 degrees (46 and 57 degrees Farenheit), with temperatures plummeting to about 2 degrees Celsius on July 15.

Read moreArgentina Has Colder Winter Than Antartica, Spurring Record Energy Imports

UK: May Snow And Frost Bring Winter Chill

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Snowfall, overnight temperatures of -1C and daytime ones four degrees below normal just days before Chelsea flower show

may-snow-and-frost-bring-winter-chill-to-uk
Widespread frost is forecast for much of the country tonight. (Guardian)

The famously bracing seaside resort of Skegness managed an overnight temperature of -1C, snow flakes fluttered down on Tyneside, and with more snow forecast for the Scottish highlands an new bedding plants likely to cringe in a widespread frost across much of the country tonight, it could be another week before the weather warms up to anywhere near the seasonal norm.

Maximum daytime temperature in the south east is expected to be no higher than 13C, at least four centigrade lower than average for May.

“Snow in May is not unheard of but it is cold for this time of year,” Tiffany Curnick, a forecaster with the Press Association’s MeteoGroup, said. “Milder air is coming in from the west, but we will still see maximum temperatures in the mid-teens in the south and the low-teens in the north for the rest of the week, which is still quite chilly for May.”

Read moreUK: May Snow And Frost Bring Winter Chill

Mongolian herders lost millions of animals because of extreme cold

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Appeal for Mongolian herders after cold kills livestock

mongolia_snowstorm Mongolia has been hit by unusually severe winter weather

The International Red Cross has appealed for help for thousands of Mongolian herders who have lost their livestock because of extreme cold.

The Red Cross said that millions of animals had perished during the country’s hardest winter in years.

It says it needs over $900,000 (£603,000) to provide emergency assistance to the worst-hit families and restock herds.

A BBC correspondent says those animals who survived are running out of food.

In recent months temperatures in Mongolia have dropped below -40C.

Local residents call it a “dzud” – a severe winter following a very dry summer, which has left reserves of fodder low.

Read moreMongolian herders lost millions of animals because of extreme cold

Spain: Heaviest Snowfall in Decades Leaves 250,000 Without Power

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A metre of snow fell in the Pyrenees leaving 6,000 travellers stranded and blocking up to 40 roads

spain-heaviest-snowfall-in-decades-leaves-250000-without-power
A couple walk on the beach during a snow storm in Barcelona, Spain. (AP)

Nearly a quarter of a million people in north-eastern Spain were without power yesterday after the heaviest snowfall in decades brought major disruption to the region.

A metre of snow fell in the Pyrenees leaving 6,000 travellers stranded and blocking up to 40 roads on the border between Spain and France. Barcelona recorded its heaviest snowfall since 1962 causing road, rail and flight chaos.

Catalonia’s interior minister, Joan Boada, said the power cuts, caused by a fault in a high-tension cable, were affecting the area around Girona, 60 miles north of Barcelona.

Spain’s border with France at La Junquera was closed causing 30-mile traffic jams while 170,000 pupils had the day off as schools were shut, local newspapers reported. About 3,000 people were put up in a town hall overnight and many others stranded in their cars as railway lines and roads became impassable, Boada said.

Tens of thousands more were unable to get home after snow fell at lunchtime and many left their offices to photograph the rare scenes of central Barcelona and its beach lying under a blanket of snow.

“I’ve never seen anything like this here in all my life,” said Barcelona resident Raquel Lasmarias, 35.

Read moreSpain: Heaviest Snowfall in Decades Leaves 250,000 Without Power