Cold snap predicted for general election - here's what Portsmouth voters can expect

Meteorologists at the Met Office have predicted that a wintry spell will arrive for election week, covering the UK in frost and seeing temperatures plunge to sub-zero in some areas.

But pollsters say voters are unlikely to be deterred from going to the polls next week, with poor weather only having ‘a small effect on turnout’.

The long-term forecast suggests snowfall in parts of the country – including Scotland and the Pennines.

Here’s what is being predicted for Portsmouth with a week to go before the election, according to BBC Weather.

December 12

Portsmouth

For the day of the election, forecasters are predicting light rain with a moderate breeze.

There will be highs of 9C and lows of 5C.

Fareham

In Fareham, BBC Weather are predicting light rain showers with a moderate breeze on the day of the poll.

There will be highs of 9C and lows of 5C.

Gosport

BBC Weather are forecasting light rain with a moderate breeze for Gosport on election day.

There will be highs of 9C and lows of 5C.

Havant

For election day, forecasters are predicting light rain showers with a moderate breeze in Havant.

There will be highs of 9C and lows of 5C.

Waterlooville

BBC weather is predicting that there will be light rain showers with a moderate breeze on election day in Waterlooville.

There will be highs of 9C and lows of 5C.

Hayling Island

For the day of the election, forecasters are predicting that there will be light rain showers with a moderate breeze in Hayling Island.

There will be highs of 9C and lows of 5C.

What happens if it snows on election day?

The election would go ahead, even in a blanket of snow, because it is written in law and cannot be postponed unless the law is changed.

Will the weather effect election turn out?

Talk of possible snow combined with a drop in temperatures and winter's reduced daylight hours has raised some concerns that this year's General Election could see lower turnout than the 68.7 per cent achieved in 2017.

However, despite worries about a reduced turnout, experts say there is no correlating evidence to show that bad weather in the UK stops people from voting.

Ben Page, CEO of Ipsos MORI, said: ‘In terms of winter elections, we only really have February 1974 to go on. Then the weather was bad but the turnout (79 per cent) was high, and up on 1970.

‘By contrast, for the Blair 1997 landslide, temperatures rose to the mid-20s, but turnout (71 per cent) was down on 1992.

‘Other factors - such as the perceived importance and closeness of the election - are likely to play at least as big a part as the weather, and of course far more people tend to vote by post, where the weather is irrelevant.’