Temperatures plummeted to -13C in some areas overnight as the UK’s cold snap looks set to continue until Friday – with stormy weather hitting this weekend.

Glen Ogle in central Scotland saw the mercury fall to -13C, while -11C was recorded at Tulloch Bridge in the Scottish Highlands.

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Freezing temperatures and snow will continue for much of the UK this week because of cold Arctic air moving south – making it 5C to 6C lower than usual for this time of year.

A Met Office spokeswoman said the low temperatures – which have prompted an amber cold alert for England from the UK Health Security Agency – are also due to how long the cold snap has lasted.

“It’s due to the prolonged nature of this cold spell, it will have been lasting for quite a few days,” the spokeswoman said.

“A build-up of snow, as well, just allows for the temperatures to get colder and colder and we don’t often see a cold spell last three to five days.

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“The air is coming directly from the Arctic, so it is exceptionally cold air,” she added.

Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are in place across Scotland, much of northern England and parts of North Wales today and tomorrow.

More than 40cm (15in) of snow could be seen on high ground in northwest Scotland by the end of Friday as it continues to build up over the coming days.

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“Potentially disruptive” stormy weather is then set to land on Sunday, the Met Office said, which will also bring milder temperatures.

“It’s staying cold until Friday, and then looking further ahead into the weekend we’ve got some deep areas of low pressure pushing in, so a big change in weather type, and we could see some stormy conditions by the end of the week,” the spokeswoman said.

“The cold isn’t lasting right to the end of the week, but we have a very different type of potentially disruptive weather arriving.”

The Met Office’s long-range forecast, which can be prone to change, said that “there is the potential for some damaging winds on Sunday into Monday, especially in the north. Rain is likely to be heavy at times across many western hills.”

Scotland was among the worst-hit parts of the UK for snow and ice, with Transport Scotland warning motorists to be prepared if they have to undertake journeys.

Stein Connelly, head of transport resilience (operations), said: “This cold snap is… causing difficult driving conditions in the current warning areas. It’s important that anyone that has to travel during the warning period plans their journey in advance and allows extra time. Police Scotland’s official travel advice is likely to change at short notice.”

The freezing weather saw schools closed and transport affected, with thousands of households in England and Wales becoming eligible for cold weather payments.

They are made to vulnerable people, including pensioners, to help them pay for heating when the temperature dips below freezing.

Read more:
Weather in pictures: Snowy scenes across UK

The payments go to those living in an area where the average temperature is recorded as, or forecast to be, 0C or below over seven consecutive days.

Payments will be made to homes across Cumbria, Oxfordshire, Yorkshire, Northumberland, Norfolk, Staffordshire and Powys in Wales.

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