UK weather update: Temperatures plunge so low that sea freezes over

Waters around Isle of Wight and Weston-Super-Mare ice over in extreme weather gripping UK

The sea in parts of the UK has frozen over as a prolonged spell of Arctic weather hammers the country with ice, snow and sub-zero temperatures.

Bembridge Harbour on the east coast of the Isle of Wight iced over on Wednesday as the water temperature dropped below -2C, leaving boats trapped.

Temperatures on the island dropped to -6C overnight and an amber weather warning has been issued for Thursday, with snow expected to continue throughout the day.

On Monday, photos taken by locals showed swathes of beach at Weston-super-Mare covered with ice.

Britain has been hit by a prologned spell of extremely cold weather as chilly air from Siberia known as the “Beast from the East” engulfed the country.

This has been met by yet more extreme weather as Storm Emma rolled in from the Atlantic, prompting the Met Office to issue a red 'risk to life' alert for the South West and south Wales.

"Some roads are likely to become blocked by deep snow, stranding vehicles and passengers," the agency warned. "Long interruptions to power supplies and other utilities are very likely to occur, along with damage to trees and other structures due to heavy snow or ice."

Trains and flights across the UK have already been cancelled, and many roads have been left impassable. In Scotland, hundreds of drivers were left stranded in their cars overnight.

Schools remain closed throughout much of the country as “blizzard-like” conditions continue to batter the region.

Road crashes have already caused several deaths across the country.

The Met Office says temperatures could feel as low as -11C during the day on Thursday as the icy winds continue to strengthen.

Meanwhile, the National Grid has issued a "gas deficit warning", suggesting the UK will not have enough supplies to meet demand in the coming days.

Forecasters have warned the country faces the “coldest spell of weather since at least 2013, and possibly since 1991” as the extreme conditions continue throughout the week.