Temperatures in the UK could plummet to a chilling -12C this weekend when a week-long Arctic blast brings snow and severe frost to our shores.
Aberdeenshire has already been hit by thundersnow, whilst Cumbria experienced a scattering of snow on Thursday (December 8).
Forecasters are now predicting lows of -6 in parts of England this weekend, whilst north of the border the mercury may drop to a staggering -12C.
READ MORE: Met Office warns of up to 15cm of snow as Troll of Trondheim launches Arctic blast in UK
According to the Daily Mirror, poverty-fighting charity the Joseph Rowntree Foundation says it fears vulnerable households will be reluctant to warm their properties to an adequate temperature of 18C due to the rising costs of energy.
The agency's Dr Agostinho Sousa said: "Cold weather can have serious consequences for health. Older people and those with heart or lung conditions can be particularly at risk."
And its senior economist, Rachelle Earwaker added: "The Government must see families will not be able to get through the winter on current levels of support. For hundreds of thousands of households it is not a choice between putting the heating on or not.
"Research shows they can’t afford any-thing recommended to protect themselves from plummeting temperatures."
The Government has been warned that its standard cold weather payment of £25, which has been triggered in 300 postcode areas in England and Wales, will make little difference to bills.
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As Britons speculate over whether a blanket of festive snow will smother the nation, meanwhile, Jim Dale, meteorologist for British Weather Services, said it is still early to be sure.
“This is a different story, and it is one that is still unfolding,” he said.
"However, as things are shaping up, this year is the most likely to get a proper, universal White Christmas since the big freeze of 2010."
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