Wrap up for a chilly week

WINTRY weather will continue to envelop London this week with sleet, snow, fog and frost expected for the next seven days, forecasters warn.

As London returned to work after the festive break amid snowfalls of a few centimetres in the suburbs, the Met Office said there would be no let up before the weekend.

Temperatures are expected to drop as low as -6C at night, reaching a maximum of 3C during the day.

Kevin Hogg of the Met Office said: "Most of you will have woken up to some snow or ground frost this morning which is fairly indicative of what will happen daily this week," he added. "We are expecting things to stay icy with the possibility of frequent flurries.

"The temperature is around 3C today but there is a sharp breeze making it feel much more bitter. Tonight the sky will become bright and clear and we are set for widespread frost and a temperature of around -5C."

Tomorrow is expected to be fine and sunny with top temperatures of 2C but at night they are expected to fall to around -6C. Mr Hogg said the wintry conditions would reach a peak on Wednesday and Thursday.

"On Wednesday things are expected to cloud over a little from the north, which could mean snow. I would think it will stay cold and frosty until the end of the weekend. Early signs indicate next week will be milder with temperatures more in keeping with the averages for this time of year." Bob Syvret of the Met Office forecast team said temperatures were being suppressed by a weather pattern which was stopping warmer Atlantic air blowing across the country. Average daytime temperatures for this time of year are usually 7C.

"The normal run of prevailing westerly winds which bring mild air off the Atlantic have been blocked by a mass of cold air that has sat over the UK and the Continent for the last couple of weeks," he said. "It happens every so often." Kevin Groves, spokesman for Network Rail, said it was taking the severe weather warnings very seriously. "We have very sophisticated and detailed weather information from the Met Office and have now put all our severe weather action plans into place," he said. "Emergency teams will be on standby this week just in case anything goes awry."

Edmund King, president of AA Roadwatch, warned of treacherous roads. "We will have heavier traffic this week as people return to work. There have been more breakdowns than usual."