Spring postponed in Britain, with risk of snow lasting into March

Spring has been postponed as the “beast from the east” brings the coldest end to a British winter in five years, the Met Office said.

Freezing temperatures, snow showers and “bitingly cold” winds are expected to last until at least March 1, the date that spring officially starts, according to the meteorological calendar.

Parts of southeast England could be colder than the north pole this weekend, as forecasters predict that temperatures in the Arctic could rise above freezing during the polar night for the first time in recorded history.

Freezing air from Siberia is expected to cover Britain this weekend and remain there all next week, bringing significant and disruptive snowfall.

The wintry blast, nicknamed “the beast from the east”, will cause temperatures to drop below freezing from Sunday night, with some areas experiencing lows of minus eight degrees Celsius and snow forecast to fall in London and the east of England.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow – the second most severe on the forecasters’ scale – covering large parts of southeast England, where five to 10cm of snow could fall.

On Tuesday, the warning will be extended throughout northeast England and parts of Scotland, with snow showers expected across the UK on Wednesday.