Χιονοπτώσεις και πολικό ψύχος στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο.

Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο.σχεδόν όλες οι περιοχές θα πληγούν, με παγετό, πάγο, χιονόνερο και η ομίχλη θα  απειλείση  τα ταξίδια και θα δημιουργήση προβλήματα ειδικά στους ηλικιωμένους.....It's grit Britain: Brace yourself for a three week battering of snow, ice and subzero temperatures
10 Jan 2013 Virtually all regions will be hit, with frost, ice, sleet and freezing fog threatening travel chaos and misery for millions – especially the elderly..

Slush hour: Gritting lorry in Kent

PA

Britain has been put on severe weather alert as forecasters warn of a freakishly cold spell sweeping in from Russia.
The big freeze is set to last about three weeks, with up to four inches of snow expected in the next seven days.
Forecasters say overnight temperatures could plunge to minus 14C (7F) in some areas over the weekend.
Virtually all regions will be hit, with frost, ice, sleet and freezing fog threatening travel chaos and misery for millions – especially the elderly.
Snow is predicted for the South and North East on Saturday night, with most places getting a blanketing through next week.
Met Office forecaster Helen Chivers said yesterday: “The cold weather will really start to set in over the weekend, bringing sleet and snow.
"Sunday night could fall to minus 6C in the countryside, with Monday down to -7C, and lying snow, clear skies and a lack of wind could make it even colder.”
Biggest snowfalls next week, up to four inches in places, are expected in the hilly areas of North Yorkshire, Wales and the South West – where overnight temperatures could plunge by 21C compared to Monday night’s low of 6.6C in Westonbirt, Gloucester.
Weather Channel forecaster Leon Brown said: “Temperatures will be very low compared to the month so far, hardly above 0C for many by day from Sunday and through much of next week.
“Overnight on Tuesday we could see minus 12C to minus 14C in the South West, where there is snow on the ground.”
Welfare organisations warned last night that a prolonged cold spell could have dire consequences for the most vulnerable.
They fear it could lead to an extra 30,000 deaths this winter as millions are afraid to keep the heating on in poorly insulated homes because of rising fuel costs.
Most at risk will be 11 million elderly people, with almost two million living below the poverty line, according to Age UK.

In the murk: Motorists in Salford yesterday

Cavendish Press

The charity’s special adviser Mervyn Kohler said: “We know there are probably five to six million households living in fuel poverty and half of those will be older households.
“People will die because of the cold. Every winter there are around 20,000 extra deaths in England and Wales alone.
“But there have been years in the past decade when another 30,000 people have died in winter and if we get a prolonged freeze that could happen again.
“I know it is difficult sometimes, but people must keep themselves warm. If they don’t the consequences could be calamitous.”
Mr Kohler said many people were struggling to make ends meet after increases of up to 10% on energy bills.
He added: “It is worrying because an awful lot of people are having to economise on eating and heating because they are short of money.
“We are talking about millions of people thinking, ‘I haven’t got the money to keep the heating on all day’. They will turn the heating off and put their lives at risk.”
He called on the Government to take the problem more seriously and invest properly on improving housing stock.
He said: “The insulation levels of homes in Germany, Scandinavia and even countries in Eastern Europe are much more energy-efficient than ours.
“Mr Cameron needs to knock heads together in the Cabinet to tackle this problem effectively and give it the importance it deserves.
"At the moment we are falling way behind the rest of Europe when it comes to tackling cold weather.”
Homelessness charity Crisis revealed that last year saw a 26% rise in people living on the streets – leaving even more people at risk from the cold snap.
Spokeswoman Katharine Sacks-Jones said: “Being on the streets is difficult at any time of year but when temperatures drop it is particularly hard.
“Homeless people die much younger. Our recent research found that the average life expectancy for people living on the streets is just 47.
"It is very bad for your health, especially in the cold.
“There is a provision for shelter in cold conditions but homelessness is continually rising at the moment. A lot of services for homeless people are facing cutbacks.”
National Energy Action, which campaigns for better heating and insulation, is also worried about how people will cope in the predicted freeze.
A spokesman said: “Cold homes can affect people’s health.
“Typically cold affects the respiratory system if you have got high blood pressure – it can be something which puts you over the edge. It can put you at increased risk of a heart attack.
“It can affect your breathing too. These conditions are exacerbated by the colder weather.
"If you are in a cold home worried about turning on your heating it has a very damaging impact on people’s ability to do normal day-to-day things.”

Calm before the storm: The sun rises over the lighthouse in South Shields

 The spokesman added: “Snow in winter is not unusual – what is unusual this year is that the programme that had been put in place for low income households to keep warm through energy efficiency has been scrapped.
“The resources in place will be half what they were in 2010. We need to invest in building stock to get through cold snaps like this.”
The sudden drop in temperatures could also hit butterflies, bees and wild flowers tricked into thinking spring has arrived early during the recent mild spell.
But snow will be a welcome sight in the Cairngorms, where 28 out of 35 ski runs were shut after temperatures hit 13.8C this month.
A resort spokesman said: “You could ski to the bottom station before the mild temperatures, but not now. We’re delighted significant snow is forecast.”
Experts say the freeze is being brought about by an almost identical weather pattern that led to the bitter winter of 2009-10 – Britain’s coldest for 31 years.
How to survive the cold snap heading our way

An extra 8,000 people die for every one degree drop in average temperature – even in mild winters.

Being cold makes blood pressure go up, raising the risk of heart attack and stroke. And it increases the risk and severity of flu, chest infections and other respiratory problems.

Age UK’s advice for older people this winter is:

1 Keep your living room at 21C (70F). It’s harder to judge temperatures as you get older, so use a thermometer to ensure you detect changes and act quickly.

2. Close your windows at night and keep your bedroom at 18C. Sleeping with the window open all year round is NOT healthy. On a winter night it will put you at greater risk of a heart attack or a stroke.

3 Wrap up well and protect your fingers, mouth and head from cold. Breathing in cold air can increase your chances of becoming ill.

4 Stay flu-free. Get a jab – free to over-65s – keep warm and eat well to help ward off infection.
So strat's what it is! Sudden stratospheric warming
The extreme cold forecast next week is linked to upper atmosphere changes in a process called sudden stratospheric warming.

Often heralding the onset of a big freeze, the mechanism involves rapid warming in just a couple of days about six to 30 miles up.

Colder easterly winds are brought in and they slow down or even reverse our usual milder westerlies.

The jet stream moves south and cold air from the east is dragged in.


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