UK braced for 'coldest winter in years' as arctic blast grips the nation

Of course, it's supposed to be cold in the lead up to January, but the bad news is that we might be facing the 'coldest winter in years'.

The Met Office has been very busy as of late after they issued a yellow weather warning today (3 December), when 2,500 people were left without electricity.

While temperatures dropped to as low as -12C last night (2 December), parts of the UK have been hit with snow, ice and major travel complications.

Drivers in Cumbria claim they were snowed in and stuck in a traffic jam for 19 hours yesterday, with no food or water.

And a reported 2,508 customers were left without electricity across Cumbria, including 256 in Lowick, South Lakeland.

“Access is difficult and our teams are using 4x4s to try to reach sections of the damaged network,” Electricity North West wrote on social media.

The electricity operator estimates that most customers should have their power up and running by 10pm on Sunday (3 December).

Now, in a briefing to the Government, businesses and transport chiefs, the Met Office has warned that it could be the coldest winter in years.

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

They said that 'the chance of cold is higher than for equivalent periods in many recent years' from the November to January period.

"Impacts from cold weather are possible throughout the period," they added.

This comes after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for ice in the East Midlands, the West Midlands, the north of England, and much of north and central Wales.

From 5pm on Sunday (3 December) to 12pm on Monday (4 December), we can expect a 'risk of ice' and likely travel difficulties.

The Met Office said: “Some snow is also likely, mainly across the hills and mountains of north Wales and The Peak District.

Met Office

“Snow may fall to lower levels for a time tomorrow morning, especially across parts of Wales adding to the risk of ice.”

They said that 'occasional wintry showers will affect eastern Scotland this evening and through Monday morning, the showers falling onto frozen surfaces giving the risk of ice'.

“A cm or two of snow is possible at low levels inland with 5-10cm over the hills, but showers at low levels expected to turn increasingly to rain overnight,” they added.

LADbible has contacted the Met Office for further comment.