Despite the recent stint of welcome spring sunshine and warmer temperatures enjoyed across the UK last week, chilly conditions soon settled back in; with the southeast bearing the brunt of a sudden onslaught of wintry weather.
Although most of the UK escaped major disruption, freezing conditions have been experienced across the country, with Saughall in south Lanarkshire shouldering the lowest temperature of -12°C. Sussex and Kent have been hit especially hard, with severe disruptions effecting hundreds of drivers and several unfortunate motorists spending an uncomfortable night stuck in their cars last night due to collisions, breakdowns and icy roads hindering the efforts of the Highways Agency. The worst-affected roads included the M23, A23, A26, A27 and A29, all of which were hit by about 10cm of snow.
With daffodils buried unceremoniously under the snow, migrating house martins wishing they’d stayed in Africa, and bookies happily taking bets on a white Easter, the chance of spring arriving any time soon may seem depressingly slim. However, British weather is notoriously unpredictable, and the Met Office’s long-term weather forecast is described as ‘unsettled’ with wind and rain soon replacing the snow, although the current chilly temperatures aren’t likely to warm up until the weekend and temperatures in April are still set to be colder than average.
It hasn’t been this cold in March since 1986, and testament to our crazy weather, this time last year people were frolicking in the sea at Bournemouth beach. Want some of that? Then why not ditch the cold and head for sunnier shores – Sharm el Sheikh is a stonking 35°C right now, while Crete is a sunny 21°C . We’re packing our bags…
