East Sussex village landmark blanketed by ice as temperatures plummet

Pictures show the Litlington White Horse blanketed by ice as temperatures remain at freezing levels in the county.

The UK is ‘now in the grip’ of a ‘cold plunge of Arctic air’, which has moved in from the north across the whole of the country, the Met Office said.

A number of national severe weather warnings have been issued for ‘potentially disruptive snow and ice’ over the coming days.

Met Office chief meteorologist, Andy Page, said: “Where and how much snow we will get will vary throughout the week and weather warnings could change quickly, you will need to keep an eye on the forecast for your region for the latest information.

“There will be widespread frost this week and we could see some fairly deep laying snow in parts of northern UK and strong winds could result in drifting or blizzard conditions at times.

The snow and ice will be disruptive and could potentially impact travel plans, make driving dangerous and pavements slippery.

“It will feel bitterly cold with daytime temperatures in the low single figures for many, and overnight temperatures will fall to -3 or -4 in many towns and cities, and it will be even colder in many rural areas.”

The UK Health Security Agency, also has a Cold-Health Alert in force for England, which highlights the possibility of significant impacts for the health and the social care sector.