The arrival of unseasonably colder weather this week is being carefully monitored by the Met Office Health Team. The team will be providing warnings through the winter to help make sure that Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease patients are prepared for times when there is an increased risk of illness.

As we head toward the end of the month arctic winds will bring much colder conditions across the country with the risk of overnight frosts and sleet and snow showers.

Daytime temperatures will be in single figures, just 3 or 4 °C in the north and no more than 8 °C in the south by the middle of the week. Widespread frosts are likely overnight with temperatures falling as low as minus 3 °C.

Deputy Chief Forecaster at the Met Office, Tony Waters said: "Cold northerly winds will bring the risk of snow showers, especially across the northeast of Scotland. However we shouldn't be surprised if we see a few snow showers almost anywhere on Tuesday".

The rest of the week remains cold with overnight frosts and further showers, which will be wintry over high ground.

Latest forecast for the UK

Winter 2008/9 forecast

Notes:

• The Met Office's Healthy Outlook service can drastically reduce hospital admissions, while providing people with COPD an improved quality of care.