Get ready for a snowy half term

PA

Weather forecasters have warned that we can expect heavy rain, strong winds and snow over half term - even in the south of England.

The Sun reports that yesterday some parts of the UK were even colder than Iceland. Overnight blizzards led to flight delays at Stansted Airport this morning, and snow also fell around London and in parts of Essex, Berkshire and Hertfordshire.

Forecaster Brian Glaze of The Weather Outlook told The Sun: "October snow this far south only happens a couple of times every hundred years. And next week could bring more low-level snow."

The Express reports that snow flurries are expected in Scotland and along the east coast in the next few days, and the Met Office said that five inches of snow fell yesterday morning near Aberdeen. Two inches of snow fell on the North York Moors and half an inch fell in Newcastle upon Tyne, the Yorkshire Dales and Inverness.

Met Office forecaster Steven Keates told The Express: "We've had snow reports all the way from North-East Scotland to London and Hampshire. Snow this far south in October is unusual and Aberdeenshire really copped it.

"It's exceptionally cold for the time of year. We wouldn't rule out some places having their lowest October daytime temperatures. It's a big contrast form the high teens earlier this week."

According to the Daily Mail, we can expect it to remain cold until the middle of the week, before wet and windy weather moves in for the rest of the week.

So now that the clocks have gone back, it looks like summer really is over and winter has well and truly arrived.

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