Thread: Britain To Shiver In -20C Within WEEKS

Brrr-ace yourselves! Britain to shiver in -20C in WEEKS as councils stockpile extra grit

~ 1.4 million tonnes of salt has been ordered this year
~ Snow already falling in Scotland
~ Temperatures in London today are 16.5C lower than last week

By Emily Allen
Last updated at 3:07 PM on 8th October 2011
312 Comments

Britain is just weeks away from being in the grip of temperatures as low as -20C, forecasters have predicted.

Parts of Britain already saw snow this week, with two inches falling in the Cairngorms in Scotland.

The rest of Britain is being warned to brace itself for wintry conditions and falling snow from the beginning of November.

And it looks like the colder weather is already on its way - as temperatures today plunged in certain areas to just 8C - a staggering 21.5C below last weekend's record highs - with the wind chill making it feel decidedly colder


Cars battle snowy weather in December last year. Britain is just weeks away from being in the grip of freezing temperatures as low as -20C, forecasters have predicted

In central London today readings of 13C were recorded, in Macduff, Aberdeenshire, the mercury plummeted to 8C, while Plymouth, in Devon, was comparatively basking in 16C of heat.

The warning of freezing weather comes as a survey from council leaders reveals local authorities are stockpiling thousands of tonnes of extra road salt this year in anticipation of another white winter.

James Madden, long-range forecaster for Exacta Weather, said: 'I expect the most frequent and heavy snowfalls to occur across many parts of the UK during November, December and January at present.

'I initially expect frequent and significant snowfalls across many northern regions and Scotland throughout this winter.

'Any earlier snowfall is likely to be more confined to northern and western parts of the UK, although large scale low pressure systems also offer the potential for significant snowfalls to many parts of the UK.

'I also expect November, December, January and February to feature largely below-average temperatures across many parts of the UK, it is likely that temperature and snowfall records will be broken within this defined time frame.'


Parts of Britain already saw snow this week, with two inches falling in the Cairngorms in Scotland, pictured


Some shops are already planning ahead for the bad weather. Halfords has ordered in 10,000 plastic sledges in anticipation of the big freeze.

Research by the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents more than 350 councils in England and Wales, shows on average local authorities aim to have 1,500 tonnes more salt at the ready to treat roads and pavements than they did at the start of October 2010.
Each council spread about 3,900 tonnes of salt, on average, last year, while this year councils are armed with about 4,900 tonnes.

In total, an estimated 1.4million tonnes of salt is expected to be stockpiled this year.

Many authorities faced criticism last winter as the nation's motorists battled dangerous roads caused by freezing temperatures, many becoming stranded.


Ready for winter: Nicola Toulson who works at Halfords with the delivery of the bright blue sleds

Thousands of roads were left untreated as salt stocks plummeted and councils were forced to prioritise.

Cllr Peter Box, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Economy and Transport Board, said: 'Councils have a huge and important role to play in keeping the country running and know there is no room for complacency.

'Treating the roads means children can still get to school safely, their parents can get to work, care workers can reach those in need, ambulances and police can tend to emergencies, and the wheels of business don't grind to a halt.

'Local authorities have been hard at work making preparations for this winter ever since the end of the last one and keeping the roads open will be our number one priority.

'This year councils have more salt and better plans in place to make it go further while even more volunteers and community groups have been lined up to help with the great gritting effort.'

The Met Office is forecasting cloudy and cool weather today with some rain. Highs of 15C are anticipated in the west country with lows of 9C in parts of Scotland.

Outbreaks of rain are expected across the majority of the country tomorrow and into Monday.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -grit.html

Winter 2011-2012: Brutal for the Midwest, Great Lakes

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/s ... the-mi.asp