Snowy UK Facing a Cold Week
Snowy scene in Stanley, England, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. Stanley is in the northeastern county of Durham. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
Normally mild U.K. will stay in the deep freeze for much of this week following widespread falls of snow.
Nightly frost and freeze will be the rule throughout at least Friday, with outlying areas dipping as low as 10 degrees below zero C, or 14 degrees F. Daily average temperatures will be about 3 to 5 degrees C below normal, or 5-9 degrees F below normal.
This will follow a week having widespread daily average temperatures up to 6 or 7 degrees C below normal.
Storms Thursday through Sunday left most of England along with much of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland mantled in up to 30 cm (12 inches) of snow. At least 3-5 cm (about 1-2 inches) of snow whitened greater London, for instance.
Official warnings for new snowfall and icy roads were spread over the U.K. on Monday, according to the nation's Met Office website. Heaviest snowfall was forecast for the highlands of Scotland and northern England.
Monday, hundreds of schools across the U.K. were shut, owing to snow-covered and icy roads, the BBC News website said.
Some flights were cancelled though major airports of England, including London's Heathrow, and there were train delays on some rail lines.
Through Thursday or Friday, snows will wane as cold high pressure takes hold.
A late-week storm could give additional falls of snow, but it will also bring warming, allowing rain to be favored over snow on Saturday and Sunday.
Visible satellite shot, taken Monday, Jan. 21, shows widespread clouds, some bearing snow, spread over the U.K. Cold wind flow from the east and southeast is hinted by the cloud patterns. Thick snow cover is seen over southwestern Norway, at the upper right of the image. (Image credit: U.K. Met Office)
As of Monday, the highest snow depth observed in the U.K. and Northern Ireland was 19 cm (7.5 inches), metered at both Albemarle, Northumberland, England, and Lough Fea, Northern Ireland. Depths of 18 cm were measured at Sennybridge, Wales, and Redesdale Camp, Northumberland.
In Greater London, depths were 5 cm (2 inches) at both Heathrow and Northolt.
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