After last week`s freeze, the Met Office has forecast heavy and prolonged showers in England and Wales for the first half of this week, before strong gales set in across the British Isles.

The Met Office warned motorists and pedestrians to watch out for falling trees as the weather becomes increasingly unsettled, with warnings that the stormy conditions could last up to 10 days.

As a result, severe weather warning for winds were issued for Friday for the majority of England and Wales.

Things aren`t likely to get any better, with a -10 chill setting in during the middle and end of the month, with health bodies warning that death figures could spike.

Met Office forecaster Emma Sharples said: ‘It’s going to be wet and windy and quite stormy. There were places in the south and east that were struggling to reach freezing and now are in double figures.



By the time we get to Tuesday somewhere like Glasgow will be about 8C and parts of the north of England will by 7C. Everywhere will see spells of rain that will last five to six hours.

‘Strong to gale force winds are expected and it will remain quite windy into the weekend. There’s a chance of cold weather in the mid to later part of February.`

Forecaster Emma Salter added: ‘It’s a big change from cold to unsettled conditions into February. A westerly flow means wet and windy spells at times, with gales possible in the North and West.

‘But it looks like it turning colder again in mid and late February. The wind direction is expected to shift to a colder direction, which is from the east or north, with high pressure building.

Two walkers have been found `safe and well` after an overnight search in the Cairngorms.

Mountain rescue teams from Braemar, Tayside and Aberdeen and a Coastguard helicopter were involved in the search for the two men, who were reported missing on Monday evening when they failed to return from a walk near Broad Cairn mountain.

They were found at around 4.30am on Tuesday and walked to safety in what was described as `challenging` weather conditions.

Braemar Mountain Rescue Team praised an `incredible team effort` in finding the missing pair and warned people heading out on the mountains to be fully prepared.

A post on the team`s Facebook page said: `Team members just getting back in after an overnight call in the Broad Cairn area looking for two missing hillwalkers, both of whom were traced safe and well in the wee hours. Weather conditions for the search were challenging.`

‘Wintry conditions are possible again. People should keep an eye on the forecast.’

Hundreds more cold weather deaths are feared in the February chill - after 1,023 more deaths than average were recorded in the week temperatures hit -5C this month.

In the week ending January 13, the most recent week for which death figures from the Office of National Statistics are available, 13,715 deaths were reported in England and Wales, up from the week`s average of 12,692.

ONS figures show 20 per cent of winter deaths are people aged under 75, with 11 per cent under 65. The Department of Health said cold conditions worsen winter killers including flu, chest diseases, heart attacks, strokes and dementia.

Public Health England said many cold weather deaths were preventable - blaming draughty houses` lack of insulation, inadequate heating and Brits failing to wrap up warm in chills.

Department of Health chief medical officer Professor Dame Sally Davies, writing in the Cold Weather Plan for England, said: `Cold-related deaths represent the biggest weather-related source of mortality. Winter sees a significant rise in deaths.`

Dr Thomas Waite, of Public Health England`s extreme events team, said: `Thousands of people die because of their exposure to cold weather. It`s really important we all do everything we can to ensure everyone stays well.`

Temperatures this morning saw a big contrast between different areas of the UK, with a 20-celsius swing between Plymouth – with highs of 11C – and Cairngorm in Scotland at -9C.

The coldest night of the year so far has been recorded in Scotland, with the UK seeing a temperature difference of more than 20 degrees between north and south.

Braemar in Aberdeenshire saw temperatures dip to minus 10.1C, while the Isles of Scilly recorded 10.2C, the Met Office said.

Met Office spokeswoman Emma Sharples said Braemar was a `well-known cold spot` due to its location in the Scottish Highlands.

/Daily Mail/

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