Temperatures will plummet across Britain this week due to five days of snow, and blistering winds.
The latest weather data is predicting five consecutive days of snow set to start today, with much of it falling over higher ground in the north of the country.
Areas set to be most affected include eastern England, the North Yorkshire Moors and Lincolnshire while strong winds and widespread rain are also predicted for the North West.
One forecast predicts a harsh overnight windchill could plunge some areas as low as -11C (12F) into the week as conditions become much more bitter.
The barrage of winter weather was also expected in the south, with parts of West London and Hereford plunging to -2C temperature overnight on Friday.
There are huge concerns for the thousands of people in northern England and Scotland who are still living without power eight days after Storm Arwen caused massive network damage to parts of the UK.
The latest national figures from industry body Energy Networks Association (ENA) showed about 9,200 homes were without power on Friday evening.
Residents are now bracing for almost freezing temperatures, with parts of northern England and Scotland expected to see lows of 1C (34F) along with sleet and rain over the next 24 hours.
Britain is bracing for blistering weather conditions including five days of snow and an overnight windchill that could push temperatures as low as -11C – as thousands of vulnerable people are still without power following deadly Storm Arwen. Pictured: Huge waves at Blackpool North shore
There are huge concerns for the thousands of people in northern England and Scotland who are still living without power eight days. Pictured: A welfare check is carried out on a resident of Weatherhill, County Durham on Friday – after the storm caused ‘catastrophic damage’ to the electricity network
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) released photographs of Royal Marines of 45 Command visiting remote communities and vulnerable households in the Banchory area of Aberdeenshire following the power outages
According to the latest weather data, five days worth of snow are forecasted starting today. Most of this snow will fall on higher ground north. Lincolnshire, East England and the North Yorkshire Moors are expected to be the hardest affected areas. The North West is also forecasted to see strong winds and extensive rain.
Temperatures today could drop below freezing due to clear skies and strong winds. However, overnight colds could cause temperatures in higher terrain areas to plummet as low as 11C (12F).
The Sun reported that the harsh weather even affected villages around The Queen’s Balmoral Castle estate. The 90mph winds and snowstorms battered her Highlands home, where she had to rely on her skeleton staff.
Met Office meteorologist Steve Keats said: ‘A couple of points to watch for will be winds, which under normal circumstances wouldn’t be an issue but if you’re trying to repair downed power lines it’s more sensitive.
It is predicted that Saturday will be very cold. There will be quite a mild windshield coming down from the northwest, so it’s going to feel not much above freezing for quite a lot of places.’
Ofgem, the energy regulator has warned that it will pursue network companies who failed to return power to customers within a reasonable time after the storm.
Ofgem said Friday that it would be reviewing the response of its companies to the severe storm that left many homes without power.
It has also agreed with firms to lift the £700 cap on compensation which could be given to customers.
The change will allow those affected to claim £70 for each 12-hour period they are left without power, after an initial £70 for the first 48 hours.
Jonathan Brearley, chief executive of the company, stated to BBC Radio 4: “We are deeply concerned for customers who have been without electricity for more than a week.”
“We are trying to find out the facts, and ensure that we know what happened. We also want to verify whether network companies met their obligations. We’ll enforce any violations if necessary.
According to The Met Office, the weather will be windy, cold and rainy on Saturday. There may also be snow in some hills. Pictured: The Sunrises over Whitby, north-east England
The east coast will see showers and cold weather on Sunday. However, the west should have sunny skies and dry weather. Pictured: Whitby Abbey casting a shadow
Pictured: The tractor attempts to rescue a bus driver who was forced off the road by the cold conditions in Aberdeenshire.
The extreme conditions reached villages near The Queen’s Balmoral Castle estate. The queen’s Highlands home saw its staff pelted by 90mph winds. Pictured at Balmoral December 2019, 2019.
“We know what speed they need to get people on the system.”
“We are aware of the difficult circumstances these companies find themselves in. We expect network companies to not only be persistent in connecting people but to also provide support.
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom said that his thoughts were with those still affected by Storm Arwen’s terrible destruction.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the engineers and emergency personnel who worked tirelessly over this past week in an effort to restore power.
“I want to also thank the brilliant Armed Forces for their rapid deployment to help those most in need.”
According to the Ministry of Defence, 297 British Army and Royal Marines personnel are providing support for civil authorities in affected areas. They are performing door-to-door inspections of vulnerable persons in their homes as well as providing comfort and guidance to communities.
A statement stated that eighty soldiers from the Royal Artillery 4 based at Alan Brook Barracks, Topcliffe were deployed to Northumberland Saturday to support vulnerable individuals and to identify areas where more assistance is needed.
Ben Wallace, Defence Secretary: “Our dedicated Armed Forces personnel work side-by-side with civil authorities in order to provide essential support for communities affected by Storm Arwen.
“The capability to quickly deploy to the UK to provide assistance wherever it is needed makes us safer, and allows us to protect those most in need.
With electricity companies, the head of the regulator for energy has reached an agreement to raise the compensation cap for customers who lost power after Storm Arwen.
Ofgem stated Friday that they were launching an evaluation of their response to storms which caused thousands of people without electricity.
The agreement between the regulator and companies means customers could receive more than the cap of £700 if firms are found to have fallen short of their obligations.
Jonathan Brearley is the chief executive at Ofgem. He stated to BBC Breakfast that they had done the following: “One thing they did already was they said to network businesses, and they agreed, they lifted the cap for the compensation they will offer customers, and they’ll ensure those customers do receive some compensation because of everything they’ve gone through.”
He stated that he wanted to simply establish the facts and ensure quick lessons learned. If obligations are not met, then enforcement action will be taken.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), a supplier, stated that approximately 950 properties were still without electricity as of Friday at 10:05pm.
Northern Powergrid said 5,100 customers out of 240,000 that lost power were still being connected.
Western Power Distribution was still without power with 254 properties, and Electricity North West (which provides electricity for the area bordering Scotland and Stockport) reported 700 properties without power on Friday evening at 8pm.
SP Energy Networks announced that power had been restored to all of its 200,000 customers which were affected.