Brits warned of 'freezing fog' and temperatures dropping below zero again tonight
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This year is off to a cold start, with weather forecasters now warning Brits about dangerous 'freezing fog' as temperatures are set to plummet again tonight (22 January).
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As you’ve no doubt already noticed, we've been hit with pretty heavy snow and frost in parts of the UK over the past week.
And if you thought we'd be getting some respite in the coming days, you'd be wrong. According to the weather boffins, anyway.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for tomorrow (23 January) as the cold spell is expected to continue into next week.
Last night, parts of the UK faced sub zero temperatures, with Oxfordshire recording a teeth-chattering -9.7C.
Although tonight is expected to be slightly warmer, experts reckon it could still reach -8C in certain areas.
But the yellow weather warning is related to the freezing fog which is predicted to start at Hull, reaching across the Midlands and down to London.
Per the Met Office's warning: "Freezing fog will lead to difficult driving conditions and could cause travel delays in some areas on Monday.
"Slower journey times with delays to bus and train services possible. There is a chance of delays or cancellations to flights."
The reason why freezing fog is so dangerous is that it's made up of supercooled water droplets that can freeze instantly on exposed surfaces when their temperatures are at or below freezing.
Though it may look picturesque when you're out for a morning walk, it can impact visibility and cause black ice on the roads.
In short, it's always best to avoid driving in these conditions.
A spokesperson for the national service went into more detail about the upcoming weather while speaking to the MailOnline.
"On Sunday night, temperatures will get down to below freezing with -8C as a minimum temperature," they said.
"Moving into Monday morning, the freezing fog will be slow to clear. Outside of this fog, there will be sunny skies in the morning but it will remain very cold.
"As the day develops, sunny spells will pick up from the east, turning cloudier.
"For northern parts and Scotland, there will be rain particularly in slopes and hilly areas.
"Broadly speaking, Tuesday will remain very similar with temperatures again falling overnight but remaining above typical in northern areas."
As we go further into the week, hopefully the fog will have cleared by then - but it'll still be far from t-shirt weather.
On Friday, the UK Health Security Agency extended the current level three cold weather alert until 9am on Wednesday, 25 January.
The government agency said: "With a risk of icy conditions and some snow across the country this week, UKHSA is encouraging people to stay warm and to look out for those most at risk from the effects of cold weather."
It added: "During this period, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may be more vulnerable to the cold weather.
"If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat your home to at least 18C if you can."
Which is unfortunately easier said than done when heating bills are through the roof right now. Spring can't come soon enough.
