The Met Office revealed January 2021 was the coldest the UK has seen in 10 years, with further wintry conditions expected this week.

The average temperature last month was 2.2C, the Met Office said in a blog post.

This makes it the coldest January since 2010, when the average was 0.9C.

The coldest January on record was 1963, when conditions averaged -1.9C.

This week the Met Office has issued weather warnings over six days in the UK.

Echo: Mean temperature across the UK during January 2021Mean temperature across the UK during January 2021

Commenting on last month's conditions, Dr Mark McCarthy, head of the Met Office's National Climate Information Centre (NCIC), said: "January 2021 has been dominated by colder-than-average weather with only brief milder interludes, but what does this cold winter mean in the context of climate change and a warming planet?

"Well, a winter month as cold or colder than January 2021 used to occur in approximately seven out of 10 winters through the 20th Century.

"In more recent decades this has dropped to around three in ten.

"So although we are still subject to cold weather in winter, these cold spells tend not to be as severe or as frequent as in the past.”

A recently published study by Met Office scientists has also shown that the likelihood of experiencing extreme high winter temperatures, such as those in February 2019, has increased substantially.

Mark added: “Taken together the evidence from recent UK winters is consistent with the overall effect of climate change leading to milder winters, less frequent cold extremes, and higher winter temperature records for the UK.”

What have the Met Office said about the weather this week?

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Jason Kelly, said: “While the south of the UK hangs onto the milder air for much of this week as we approach the weekend, the area of low pressure responsible for the snow across the north of the UK will clear, allowing colder air to push south and west across much of the country."

The Weather Outlook added: "Through the second half of the week the favoured scenario is for the much colder weather in the north to spread southwards. By the weekend it could be very cold in all of the country. Heavy snow showers are probably in the north and east. However, there is a moderate chance of it staying less cold in the south and south west."

What is the Met Office forecast for the South East?

Wednesday:

A spell of rain will likely linger through the morning, especially in the south and east. Some afternoon brightness in the west but also a few showers. Maximum temperature 10C.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:

Thursday and Friday, some bright spells but also some showers, heavy at times. Saturday, further spells of rain likely, perhaps turning wintry later as colder northeast winds develop.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday: 

Rather cloudy and cold across the UK on Sunday with wintry showers over eastern parts. An area of high pressure then looks to build to the north, and it will likely feel cold or very cold, especially in brisk easterly winds.

There is a chance of conditions being dry at times with widespread overnight frosts, although wintry showers can still feed in from the east coast.

Any organised areas of cloud and precipitation arriving from the southwest will not progress very far into the country as a result of the high pressure.

However, they can bring the potential for widespread snow across areas where they bump into cold air. Patches of ice and other disruptive wintry hazards remain a possibility for all areas.