Cold snap to strike Britain with -6°C by end of the week

The UK is facing a short sharp cold snap in the coming days as winter approaches. Ladbrokes bookies are offering odds of 2/1 that a new record is set for the coldest night of 2016 before next Sunday with it only offering evens odds that the temperature drops to -10c or lower. It is also offering odds of 2/1 for a white Christmas in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow with better odds as you head south with 3/1 for Newcastle and Belfast, 4/1 for London, 5/1 for Liverpool and Manchester and 6/1 for Cardiff and Birmingham. Jessica Bridge, of Ladbrokes, said: ‘Winter’s coming, and the odds are falling as quick as the temperature’s dropping, leaving punters already dreaming of a White Christmas.’ Luke Mial, forecaster for the Met Officer, said that temperatures would start dropping on Sunday night with Monday expected to be the coldest night of the week with temperatures dropping to -5c or -6c in rural areas and -1c to -3c in towns and cities. He said that the week would start with two days of cold weather and added: ‘Monday won’t feel particularly warm with temperatures struggling to hit single figures and clear skies will mean quite a cold night and possibly the coldest of the autumn so far in England and Wales. ‘Tuesday will continue to feel cold so it’s time to start wrapping up as we approach meteorological winter which starts on Thursday’.