Big freeze to hit UK in just days as -9C blast set to sweep Britain

The start of 2026 is set to be bitterly cold according to new weather maps from forecaster WXcharts with some areas seeing lows of -9C as a bone-chilling blast sweeps the country

The new year is set to get off to an icy start with a bone-chilling -9C blast predicted to sweep the country in the coming days.

The start of 2026 is set to be bitterly cold according to new weather maps from forecaster WXcharts. A total of 12 regions across the country are expected to shudder in the grip of the freezing weather.

So far December has been marked by heavy rain and mild westerly or southerly winds for many with a dominating low pressure system to thank. However this is set to come to a bitter end as charts turn an icy blue, signalling a sharp drop in temperatures to sub-zero levels.

Temperatures are set to drop across the board on January 3, with some spots seeing lows barely above 0C. The coldest temperatures will be felt in Scotland with the Highlands and Perth and Kinross anticipated to endure wintry lows of -9C at 3am.

Meanwhile, Stirling and Argyll and Bute could see temperatures plummet to -8C. The mercury is set to plummet to between -2C and -4C in other parts of Scotland, reports the Express.

South of the border things aren’t much warmer, with large parts of Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West bracing for -4C. North Wales could also see temperatures plunge to -4C, while Cardiff and Swansea are likely to experience a chilly -1C.

Temperatures are forecast to hover between -2C and -1C in traditional milder areas of the country, London, the South West and East of England.

As the sun rises the low temperatures will continue, as by 9am, vast areas of Scotland will be gripped by temperatures plummeting well below freezing, forecasters predict.

Perth and Kinross could experience bone-chilling lows of -8C, while the Scottish Highlands will endure a brutal -4C.

In the North East population centres like Newcastle and Sunderland, may find themselves blanketed by a harsh -5C freeze, with Yorkshire and the Humber facing similar conditions.

The Met Office's weather outlook for December 26 through to January 4 cautions of "below average temperatures".

The forecast states: "High pressure will likely dominate the weather in the run up to the New Year, slowly drifting to the west. This will maintain largely settled conditions, although with an increasing chance of showery conditions later in the period.

"Temperatures will be below average much of the time, with frost likely where clear skies and light winds prevail."