Snow falls in the capital as cold snap set to continue through weekend

Staff reporter(wp/es):

Snow fell in parts of London on Thursday morning as forecasters warned a recent cold snap is set to continue to the end of the week.

Londoners face more sleet and snow as freezing temperatures and cloudy weather bring chances of “wintry showers”.

From Thursday through to Sunday temperatures are set to stay below 5C in the day and dip as low as minus 1C overnight.

Snow was reported in north and east London first thing on Thursday as the Met warned of more icy conditions - with temperatures 5C below average for this time of year.

And, according to Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst, arctic winds will make the city feel even colder.

Mr Dewhurst said: “There will be a cold north-easterly wind across London making it feel a lot colder.

“It will be cloudy with a chance of sleet and snow and there could be a frost start to Friday as temperatures drop below freezing overnight.”

The weekend is set to see more of the same weather, with the easterly winds from Scandinavia making London feel very cold.

Charity Age UK has warned of the "devastating impact" cold weather can have on the health of the elderly and has urged people to take care of their older neighbours and family members.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: "The cold weather can be really challenging for older people, particularly those who are more vulnerable because of pre-existing health conditions or who are living in housing that is difficult and expensive to heat.

"It can also be an especially lonely time, if older people feel it is too cold to go out and about.

"With the weather set to take a turn for the worse, we are urging people to check our advice to make sure they are doing everything they can to protect themselves against the cold weather.

"We'd also urge people to keep an eye on their older family members, friends or neighbours when the weather is particularly bad.

"Picking up some shopping for them or just popping in to check they're okay and having a friendly chat can be a real help at this time of year."