After a week where the weather seemed to be tentatively flirting with the prospect of spring, a severe cold snap is headed our way.
Starting this weekend, Britain will experience the longest prolonged spell of cold weather since 2013, Met Office forecasters have warned.
An area of high pressure accumulating over Scandinavia is currently pulling up very cold air from Eastern Europe and as far as Siberia.
Following a respite where the mercury climbed to 14C, a wintry transition is now in process, taking full grip of the country from Sunday.
The gradual decline in temperatures starts now, however some parts in the South East on Friday and Saturday will be clear with bright conditions, though some scattered snow showers are not out of the question.
By Monday we will struggle to see daytime temperatures get above freezing as snow showers spread from the East. Central overnight temperatures could drop to -6C and it will be colder still from Tuesday with more concentrated snow showers and a reasonable accumulation of snow.
Snow, frost and ice warnings are set to be issued for the weekend by Friday.
Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: “From next week, nowhere is immune. This is going to be a very cold spell with some high impact weather heading our way and it’s a pattern we will be locked into until early March.”