Storm Darcy to bring six inches of snow today with warnings until Friday

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Bitter Baltic weather is continuing to bite across Britain, bringing nearly two feet of snow and the coldest night for more than a decade. 

Today snow showers could bring 2-6ins (5-15cm) of snow anywhere on the eastern side of Great Britain, with daytime temperatures forecast to range from -1C to 2C in London and Cardiff, and for Edinburgh from -5C to 0C.

Last night was the chilliest night of the winter so far, with -16.7C (1.94F) recorded at Altnaharra, in Sutherland, northern Scotland, the coldest temperature since January 2010. 

Yellow weather warnings for areas where snow and ice could cause travel disruption cover much of Northern Ireland until 11am today, and the eastern half of the UK mainland until midnight.

This warning remains in place throughout Thursday and Friday for the north-eastern edges of England and Scotland.

And a Met Office forecast has warned of extreme cold temperatures as most of Scotland is expected to sit below zero tonight. Temperatures as low as minus 11C are expected overnight in the Highlands, while the central belt can expect highs of minus 2C, to lows of minus 6C.

As Brits woke to a fresh blanket of snow today,there were several crashes on icy motorways and elderly people have been warned against travelling to Covid vaccination appointments if conditions in their area are treacherous.  

In Kent, where temperatures could drop to -7C today, a lion cub died at the Port Lympne Reserve after venturing outside.  

A further warning for tomorrow and into Friday morning covers the North East coast, from eastern Scotland to the Yorkshire Wolds, where up to 8cm (3.2ins) of snow could fall. 

Storm Darcy has brought cold air rushing in, carpeting large areas of central and eastern England and Scotland with snow. 

The deepest recorded yesterday was 29cm (just under 2ft) at Aboyne in Aberdeenshire. England’s snowiest place was Andrewsfield, Essex, with 26cm (just over 10in). 

Rugby Borough Council, Thurrock Council and Southwark Council have all been forced to suspend bin collections.

Transport services were disrupted this morning due to the weather, with Stagecoach East Scotland cancelling many of its early morning Fife services.

Rail services between Edinburgh and Glasgow are running 30 minutes late due while all Edinburgh tram services are currently cancelled because of issues caused by the weather.

Met Office spokesman Nicola Maxey said: ‘We’re in this easterly airflow, bringing in very cold air and picking up moisture over the North Sea, which is turning to snow.’

But she added that a change is in store for the weekend, with a low pressure system poised to bring in milder, southerly air to all parts of the country by Sunday.

Snow is forecast for its leading edge, and gales to south-western coasts.

Miss Maxey said: ‘There’s some uncertainty about how quickly it will move. We could see some snow for Devon and Cornwall. The southerly airflow will push the easterly air out of the way.’

Temperatures could rise to 5C (41F) as far east as London by Sunday, and low single figures further north.

But the Met Office warns cold air could ‘push back’ in. Later in the month, drier, colder conditions are forecast and there remains the chance an easterly airflow could return bringing the risk of snow showers. 

And elderly people with vaccine appointments have been warned not to brave dangerous conditions caused by a ‘rash of snow showers’ set to sweep the UK in the coming days. 

Met Office meteorologist Clare Nasir said ‘temperatures will plummet wherever you are’ on Wednesday, and ‘strong winds’ and snow will be ‘disruptive across many areas’ in the UK.

Ms Nasir added: ‘Through Wednesday morning, we’ll see a rash of snow showers, but subtle changes through the day, the winds will lose their strength as the snow showers become more confined to the east of England.

‘Further west, we’ll see some brighter skies and sunshine through the day but we will see more showers come in through the far north-east of Scotland on Thursday after another severe frost and bitter start to the day.’ 

The Port Lympne Reserve revealed a lion cub died yesterday – the second in less than a month. 

In a statement, the reserve told Kent Live: ‘During the early hours of Tuesday morning, we became aware that one of the lion cubs was not visible. We believe it ventured out through the bedroom door unnoticed by its mother.

‘With below freezing temperatures, it would have become weak and succumbed to the elements very quickly. It later became clear that it had indeed passed away during the night.’

Director of Age UK Caroline Abrahams has warned elderly people with vaccine appointments not to attempt travelling through treacherous conditions.

She said: ‘Rather than battling the elements and putting health at risk, it would be better to call your GP to see what the alternative vaccination arrangements are being made locally.

‘It’s important to remember that Covid-19 vaccination is not a one-off opportunity, if for any reason you can’t take the first appointment you’re offered there will be other opportunities later on, possibly in a range of nearby settings.’

Cold temperatures increase blood pressure, which can trigger heart attacks and strokes in elderly people, and breathing in chilly air can increase the impact of illnesses like flu and pneumonia.

The charity’s advice for those heading out on essential journeys includes planning ahead to avoid dangerous routes, wrapping up warm, and helping grandparents with shopping so they can stay indoors.

Norfolk Police has also warned people not to travel in blizzard-like conditions, adding that many roads have fallen victim to snowdrifts.

Officers attended a number of minor road traffic collisions on Monday, when Storm Darcy was ravaging the UK, and police in King’s Lynn said that a lorry got stuck in a snowdrift and had to be towed out by farmers.

Vaccination centres in Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk and Clacton on Sea and Colchester in Essex also remained closed on Tuesday due to the severe weather.

Wind chill from strong easterly gusts of almost 30mph meant even parts of South-West England – normally the mildest part of the country – felt like -12C (10.4F) at midday yesterday.

Further warnings for wintry conditions have been issued for the next three days.

Even the fountains in Trafalgar Square succumbed to the winter chill, with the Jellicoe Fountain’s mermaids left covered in icicles.  

England’s coldest place in the early hours of yesterday was Shap, Cumbria, at -11.2C (11.8F).

But the temperatures are still a long way off the record of -27.2C (-16.96F) recorded at Braemar, in the Scottish Highlands, in 1892.