A visual guide to what is causing the cold snap across the UK and how unusual it is for temperatures to fall so low in December.
There has been a large area of high pressure over Russia for some time and a second high pressure system has built up across Greenland and Iceland.
That flow of cold air is then reinforcing the highs, resulting in what is known as a "blocked pattern" with the high pressure areas remaining in place for several days. Met Office data shows just how much warmer than usual September, October and November have been, with mean highest daily temperatures in some places 2.5C above the average between 1990 and 2020.December 2010 was the coldest on record for the UK based on mean temperatures - and also very snowy. The first half of December 2012 was also well below average but much milder weather in the second half of the month meant it ended up about average overall.
But she adds that forecasters aren't confident of this and, even with average temperatures, snow could still fall at times on high ground.
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