Portsmouth Weather: 'Arctic blast' brings freezing temperatures with a snow warning for Hampshire and travel chaos nationwide

An ‘Arctic maritime airmass’ has settled across the UK due to shifting weather patterns, according to the Met Office, which has predicted freezing temperatures across the UK this weeks.

Southern Rail has called on passengers to only travel if ‘absolutely essential’ this morning, while drivers were left stuck in traffic for hours overnight on the motorways around London due to heavy snow.

In a weather map published online, the Met Office forecasts a 70 per cent chance of some snow falling across parts of Hampshire – but Portsmouth is not predicted to be affected.

Mostly sunny conditions with temperatures ranging from 1 to 3 degrees will remain until the next of the week, when freezing temperatures are set to grip the city over night on Thursday and Friday.

The bitter cold will feel as low as -7 degrees in parts of Havant and Fareham on Friday morning – but next weekend will see temperatures rise across the region, reaching highs of 8 degrees next Sunday, alongside an 80 per cent chance of rain across the afternoon.

In a statement online, the Met Office forecast for the run-up to Christmas – from December 13 to 22 – said: ‘Generally feeling cold to very cold, with widespread frosts overnight and a chance of freezing fog in places.

‘A more unsettled regime is likely to develop later on in the period, bringing spells of rain and possibly snow into many parts of the UK, especially the south and the west with strong winds in places.

‘Temperatures are likely to turn less cold through the remainder of this period.’

A yellow weather warning due to snow and ice remains in place around London, Dover, Brighton, and Reading.

Southern Rail called on travelers to only use the rail service for essential journeys, while tickets acceptance has been updated to include the Stagecoach 700 service between Brighton and Portsmouth due to disruptions.

It comes as road users report chaos on the M25 near Essex and Hertfordshire overnight, with drivers posting on social media to show queues of cars stuck in snow and claiming that the traffic jams took hours to clear.

National Highways is reporting the strategic road network in Kent is being particularly hard hit with snow severely impacting the M2, M20 around junctions 8 and 9, the A21 and A249 with drivers struggling to get through.

The resulting traffic is preventing gritters, which are also fitted with snowploughs, from getting through in some areas.

National Highways Duty Operations Manager for the region Gina Oxley said: ‘Road users who do decide to venture out are advised to plan ahead and are warned to expect possible travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel.;