Weather latest: Cold snap delays springtime weather (From News Shopper)

Weather latest: Cold snap delays springtime weather

8:04am Monday 11th March 2013 in News © Press Association and news reporter

BOOKMAKERS have slashed the odds on a white Easter as the return of freezing temperatures and snow this week will further delay springtime weather.

Temperatures will remain below freezing in many areas in the next few days, with minimum temperatures as low as -7C and the possibility of snow bringing children out in hats and scarves and potential disruption to the roads.

As we march into spring people will be hoping for warmer weather, and towards next weekend there will be a slightly milder air coming through, forecasters said.

Before then, however, there will be a cold snap which one described as possibly the chilliest weather of the winter season.

Julian Mayes of Meteogroup said: "It could even be the coldest weather of the winter in a few places, but it's only going to last until about Friday, this cold snap.

"But it's going to be a noticeable one and the overnight temperatures will have some quite severe and penetrating frosts, particularly on Tuesday and Wednesday nights right across the country."

Mr Mayes said people should expect easterly winds.

The cold snap is an unwelcome surprise for birds coming back to the UK expecting mild weather after time spent in the warmth of Africa.

Grahame Madge, a spokesman for the RSPB, said sand martins are already arriving back from hotter climes for the British summertime, and will face "very hard conditions".

He said: "They are going to come back and find that there's no food. The cold weather will kill off any insects that have emerged, therefore leaving insect-eating birds hungry.

"There's a limit to the amount people can do.

"We would ask people to carry on putting food out. For birds that rely on insects there's really nothing people can do," he said.