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BBC News
 Many
parts of the country can expect snow
The
UK is bracing itself as the first big freeze of the winter
gets underway.
Much of the UK woke up to frost on Wednesday, and forecasters
have warned that a band of sleet and snow will move north
east across England and Wales in the evening.
In Scotland,
which had already experienced freezing conditions over Christmas,
temperatures plunged further still overnight.
A low
of -12 C was recorded at Altnaharra in Caithness, and forecasters
predicted that temperatures would stay well below freezing
in many parts of Scotland during the day.
Arctic
blast
The
lowest overnight temperature recorded in England was -9.3
C in Redesdale, Northumberland.
Experts
say the freezing weather is being caused by a cold front
streaming down from the Arctic Circle.
Over
the next few days, drivers across the UK face the danger
of ice on the roads.
Despite
the fact that no rain is forecast, it is likely that water
left from floods earlier this year could seep out and freeze
over.
Freezing
fog has already made driving conditions in Scotland extremely
hazardous.
But
despite the big freeze spreading across the UK, staff at
the Royal Botanic Gardens' country garden in West Sussex
are already dealing with the first signs of spring.
The
mild weather during the rest of December has meant that
daffodils and primroses at Wakehurst Place, near Ardingly,
are flowering at least two months before they should.
Horticulturists
are being forced to protect the early blooms amid fears
that the freezing weather could kill them off.
A spokesman
said: "We can't say whether this is an example of global
warming, but the seasons are very odd at the moment.
"This
is the first time in 50 years anyone can remember the shoots
appearing this soon before spring."
Among
the sporting casualties from the weather was Wednesday's
race meeting at Wetherby, west Yorkshire, which was cancelled.
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