Weather watch: Britain set to be blasted by Arctic misery with temperatures expected to plummet to -12C

Spring is about to be put on hold as a blast of Arctic misery sends thermometers plunging to -12C over the next few days.

Britain is back on high alert for more snow over high ground and widespread frosty mornings as winter delivers its parting shot.

The Met Office with Public Health England (PHE) has issued weather alerts warning of cold weather across much of th country until Friday, with the north east put on a special alert.

After the mild weekend a blast of Arctic air sent thermometers plummeting this week with lows of -7C recorded in Yorkshire on Tuesday night.

Another icy blast is expected before the weekend arrives, this time from Siberia and the east, and will keep temperatures well below freezing.

The Met Office has severe weather warnings in place for ice across Scotland and parts of England into Thursday.

It has urged motorists to prepare for difficult during conditions on untreated roads and possible disruption over the coming days.

Met Office spokeswoman Lindsay Mears said: “There will be some very cold nights ahead with the possibility of wintry showers over high ground.

“The rest of this week will see widespread morning frosts with temperatures well below-freezing across Britain, we have warnings in place for ice.

“By the weekend there is likely to be a change in wind direction from Arctic to a more easterly flow coming in from Siberia and Scandinavia.

“We could see snow in Wales and the Cotswolds.

“After a relatively mild winter so far the next few days are likely to come as a shock to the system with temperatures dipping below freezing across the country.”

Forecasters said temperatures could plummet to -12C in the north with lows of -5C overnight elsewhere.

Swathes of Cumbria woke up under a blanket of white on Wednesday morning with forecasts warning of more to come by the weekend.

The threat of cold weather prompted government officials to issue cold weather warnings for elderly and vulnerable people.

A Met Office alert states there is a 90 per cent probability of severe cold weather until Friday in parts of the country.

It adds: “This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services.

“Prolonged periods of cold weather can be dangerous, especially for the very young, very old or those with chronic diseases.”

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK , added: Cold weather can be particularly dangerous for older people who are more at risk of suffering health problems when the temperature drops.

"We are urging all older people to keep warm and take basic precautions to protect their health for example sleeping with the windows closed at night to lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes caused by raised blood pressure brought on by the cold.”