UK weather: Ice warning issued by Met Office as Arctic air returns | UK News

As we head toward the spring equinox on 20 March, daylight hours are rapidly increasing and we are feeling more strength from the Sun.

Wind direction at this time of year is really influential to our weather. At the beginning of March, southerly winds brought warmer air up from the tropics to bring above average temperatures across the UK. With a switch in wind direction to a northerly this week, the – still very cold – Arctic winds will bring temperatures below average.

For the remainder of this week, all of the UK will feel the cold with maximums of 5 to 9C. For some context, the average mid-March daytime maximum temperatures are around 7 to 11C.

Temperatures overnight will drop close to or just below freezing for many of us. A brisk north to north-easterly wind into Thursday will also make it feel colder than the thermometer suggests.

Despite the cold, there should be a lot of dry weather, with some spells of sunshine. There is also a chance of further wintry flurries for some, especially in parts of Scotland and north-east England.