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Temperatures will plummet to as low as -3C tonight as the cold snap chilling Britain looks set to continue.
Only last weekend the UK was warmer than Rome and Athens at a balmy 17C but today the temperature is half that in some places.
Scotland is bearing the brunt of the cold but forecasters at the Met Office said parts of Cumbria and Wales could also see the mercury fall below freezing tonight.
Last weekend's warm temperatures, which hit 17C, have been replaced by wintry weather (PA) The warmest temperatures – 8C – were seen in the south east of England today and the weather will struggle to get any warmer until the middle of next week.
“Temperatures are slightly below average now we’re in the meteorological spring but in March you tend to find a large variation in temperatures between warm and cold,” a forecaster at the Met Office said.
“At the moment we’ve got an easterly air flow bringing in cold air from continental Europe with a chilly breeze.”
The cold will continue for the coming days but most places will see dry and sometimes sunny conditions with scattered rain showers.
Show all 30 1 /30UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK A deserted Goathland Station as blizzard sweeps through North Yorkshire
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK A car gets stuck in the snow in Goathland, North Yorkshire
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK Snow outside the Houses of Parliament in London
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK The sun breaks through the clouds over a snow covered Bodmin Moor in Cornwall
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UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK Heavy snow on a car in Farncombe, Surrey
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK People walking in the heavy snow that fell overnight in the Strathclyde region on January 29, 2015 in Glasgow Scotland.
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UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK A horse stands in the snow in Langley
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK A woman walks over the bridge covered in snow, in Langley
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK The sun rises behind the Victora Tower on a snow covered Castle Hill in Huddersfield
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK A stranded motorist makes his way over Dundrod on 29 January, in Northern Ireland
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UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK Motorists make their way over Hannahstown Hill, near Belfast
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UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK Hector, a Spanish Water Dog, chasing a ball in the snow in Belfast
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UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK A car in the snow near Worrall, South Yorkshire, as Britons were warned to brace themselves for fresh disruption today
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UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK The sunrise over the Vale of Belvoir, Leicestershire, on 30 January
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UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK A horse stands against the sleet and snow on January 29, 2015 in Belfast
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UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK Snow ploughs have had their work cut out in Northern Ireland
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UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK A snow covered Durham Cathedral
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK Terminal 1 at Manchester Airport covered in a blanket of snow which has closed the airport, as schools, transport and mobile phone signals were disrupted after heavy snow hit parts of the country
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK Tractors clear the snow from the runways at Manchester Airport's Terminal 1
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK A cyclist makes his way through a blizzard in Durham
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UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK Cars make their way through the snow in the Loxley area of Sheffield
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK Snow covered graves at St Joseph's Church in west Belfast, as an orange weather alert is announced in Northern Ireland
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK A snow covered farm near Crook
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK A walker braves the bitter weather at Stormont, Belfast, Northern Ireland
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK Cars covered in snow at the car park at Manchester Airport's Terminal 1
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK A general view of Bradford and the surrounding hills covered in snow, following heavy snow showers
UK weather in pictures: Snow blankets Britain Snow blankets the UK Children play in the snow in the grounds of Stormont, Belfast, Northern Ireland
That rain could turn into sleet or even light snow over the Pennines but any snowfall will quickly melt.
“Sunny spells will be increasing next week, driving the temperatures up and by Wednesday or Thursday it will be closer to average seeing 12C or 13C,” the forecaster said.
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