Londoners band together to move stuck bus during heavy snowfall
For free real-time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox, sign up for our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free emails for breaking news
A man in his 20s has set himself on fire after falling into the River Thames on Monday evening amid freezing temperatures of -3C.
The body of the unidentified man was recovered at 9.25pm on Monday, the Met Police confirmed.
He had been seen entering the river in the early evening.
A Met Police spokesman said: “At 9.25pm the body of a man, aged in his 20s, was recovered from the water near London Bridge.
“He is believed to be the man seen earlier entering the water. The circumstances of the death are not being treated as suspicious.”
It comes as the Scottish Government yesterday declared a major incident for Shetland after thousands of homes were left without power amid plummeting temperatures.
SSEN Distribution is working to restore supply to around 2,800 homes, but warned that full restoration is only likely by the end of the week.
The network problems come as temperatures plunged to record lows across the country, with minus 17.3C recorded in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, from Monday to Tuesday, making it the coldest place in the Kingdom United for the second night in a row.
key points
Show latest update 1671010229
Breaking: Man dies after falling into Thames in -3C temperatures
A man in his 20s has died after falling into the River Thames near London Bridge, police have confirmed.
The body was recovered on Monday evening after it was seen entering the water in the early evening.
Police are not treating his death as suspicious.
Aisha Rimi 14 December 2022 09:30
1671008755
Cold weather advice from the UK Health Safety Agency
Dr Agostinho Sousa, consultant in public health medicine at UKHSA, said: “Cold weather can have serious health consequences, and the elderly and people with heart or lung conditions may be particularly at risk.
“If you have a pre-existing condition, you should heat your home to a temperature that is comfortable for you. In the rooms you use the most, such as the living room or bedroom, try to heat them to at least 18°C if you can. Keep your bedroom windows closed at night. Wearing several layers of clothing will keep you warmer than a thicker layer.”
Aisha Rimi December 14, 2022 9:05 am
1671007137
Wintry showers will continue through Wednesday evening
The Met Office has forecast more wintry rain affecting Northern Ireland, northern Scotland and the east coast of England for Wednesday evening.
Elsewhere, clear spells are expected with isolated patches of freezing fog, a widespread, severe frost over the snowpack.
Aisha Rimi 14 December 2022 08:38
1671005275
Will it be a white Christmas this year?
The Met Office has shared its predictions on whether the UK will see a white Christmas this year.
The forecaster said it is colder than usual for this time of year, but said the freezing conditions are not likely to last.
A spokesman told The Independent that it may snow at Christmas, but it is most likely to be in the north of the country and in the hills.
Lucy Skoulding has the full story:
Aisha Rimi 14 December 2022 08:07
1671003461
The non-school day due to bad weather closure would be a ministerial decision, Ofsted says
Children must get their “full time in education”, the head of the schools watchdog has said as he referred to the US practice of adding an extra day of classes if there are weather closures.
Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman said it would be a “ministerial decision” whether or not the same should happen in schools in England. Ms Spielman was speaking on Tuesday as several schools across the country were forced to close for a second day. due to the glacial climate.
He told Times Radio: “We know from the experience of the pandemic that distance learning is not terribly effective, that most children learn far less than they would in school and some children learn nothing at all.
“So to me, really, a school has to be open or closed. In America, they add a day later to the school year, if they close for a snow day when transportation isn’t possible. It’s really important that the default is to keep schools open. Obviously, there are circumstances where that’s not possible.”
Asked if he thought all schools should do this, he said: “Well, that would be a ministerial decision. But children have missed out on a lot of education. For me, it’s very important to make sure that children have their full time in education so they can get the benefit of it.”
Aisha Rimi 14 December 2022 07:37
1671000775
School closings and late opening Wednesdays due to snow: See the full list in your area
Snow and ice have been causing chaos across the UK, with commuters facing delays and road closures.
Some schools have closed their doors as parents and staff struggled to make the journey in treacherous conditions or heating systems stopped working. Others have started later in the day to allow for a safety assessment in the morning.
The disruption looks set to continue Wednesday, with schools across the country saying they plan to close as the cold weather continues.
Here’s how to stay on top of school closings in your local area during freezing conditions:
Stuti Mishra December 14, 2022 6:52 am
1670998547
Tips for driving safely in the snow
The Met Office is issuing snow driving safety advice urging the public to take extra care at road junctions and keep 10 times the usual distance between vehicles as the cold weather continues.
Stuti Mishra December 14, 2022 6:15 am
1670996747
Latest Met Office weather forecast
Today is expected to remain mostly dry across the UK with some wintry showers in northern Scotland continuing overnight, according to the latest Met Office forecast.
Most parts of the UK will see a dry afternoon with clear spells and cloud slowly moving south from the southern counties of England. A few patches of mist and fog will form in the morning.
Tomorrow most places will be very cold but fine as it will be dry with lots of wintry sun although there will be areas of cloud in N Scotland which will persist during the day and some areas of fog and mist they will take a long time to clean themselves.
Stuti Mishra December 14, 2022 5:45 am
1670995247
Road temperatures reach below freezing in some areas
Road temperatures in some areas are now below freezing as the cold weather continues to grip the UK.
According to North East Live Traffic, the surface temperature dropped to -1C in Tyne & Wear as the public is urged to drive carefully due to ice on surfaces.
Stuti Mishra December 14, 2022 5:20 am
1670994047
Snow causes schools to close for the second day
Many schools across the UK were forced to close for a second day yesterday due to the cold weather.
Councils from Aberdeenshire to Cambridgeshire reported school closures, for reasons including heating failures, burst pipes and snow and ice.
In Sheffield, engineers said they had just over 100 homes left to reconnect to gas last night after almost 2,000 homes in the city lost supply 11 days earlier when a burst water main fill the local gas network with more than a million liters of water.
Stuti MishraDecember 14, 2022 05:00