Weather experts are warning people to be prepared for a prolonged severe cold spell after recent milder temperatures teased Brits into thinking Spring was on the way.

Boffins blamed the looming icy blast on a dramatic rise in air temperature​​s, known as Sudden Stratospheric Warming, at around 30km above the North Pole​, and this rare event is set to draw bitter weather from the east.​

This warming results from a breakdown of the usual high-altitude westerly winds and often leads to a switch in weather conditions with a cold easterly blast more likely to dominate subsequent UK weather​ instead of the usual Atlantic flow.​ ​​

There tends to be a delay of about 10 days before effects of the Polar split are noticed because it takes time for the influence in the upper atmosphere to feed down to lower levels.

The mercury will start to dip ​from midweek, but colder weather will be felt in all areas by Sunday with values struggling around freezing as a raw wind tears across the country.

Widespread overnight frosts are also likely with the bitter conditions possibly remaining for a lengthy spell.

A spokesperson for The Weather Channel said it was set to ​feel bitter as brisk winds reverted to the east and north-east.

The forecaster added: “Temperatures will be dropping 2-3C below average by the end of the week.

“Confidence is building in a cold, unsettled start to March with temperatures below normal and dominated by various areas of low pressure, with much of the associated precipitation falling as snow.”

Huddersfield weatherman Paul Stevens said: "Into next week there is higher confidence of a significant cold spell with Siberian air reaching the UK in the early part of the week with the potential for disruptive and more widespread snowfall across many central and eastern parts of the UK in particular over the Pennines."

However, some forecasts suggest milder air will eventually push upwards through the country from the south banishing the bitterly cold air to the north.