Snow and freezing weather continue: live For all you weather geeks, I should point out that my earlier estimates were based on the National Temperature Record that give a mean temperature for the whole of the UK and go back to 1910. What about the Central England Temperature (CET) that has records for the mean monthly temperature going all the way back to 1659? You can see the coldest Marches on record under this data set here. As you can see from the data the coldest March ever was 1674, when the mean average was 1C and I expect they had 'frost fairs' on the Thames. The CET average for this year so far is 3.3C, which makes it around the 35th coldest on record on a level with 1969. It looks like March 2013 as a whole is unlikely to break the CET records as a whole but since it is remaining cold the average may go down to around 2.8C, the same as 1962. Making it the coldest year in the area for more than 50 years. Always bear in mind the CET is just central England, a roughly triangular area of the United Kingdom enclosed by Lancashire, London and Bristol. The national record gives a mean for the UK as a whole. 13.42 Telegraph cartoonist Matt in fine fettle today on the subject of the weather. More Matt here. 13.19 Speaking of reckonings, and weather, the Government's chief scientific adviser warned today that the world faces decades of climate chaos even if it takes drastic action to tackle climate change. From our news story this morning: Professor Sir John Beddington said that time lags in the climate system meant that accumulations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere now will determine the weather we experience for the next 25 years. Climate change is already manifesting itself in huge variations in the weather, clearly illustrated by the way Britain experienced both drought and extreme rainfall last year, he said. The scientist said that the international community's failure to agree binding targets for cutting carbon emissions meant problems were being stored up for the future. Read the full story: World faces decades of climate chaos, outgoing chief scientific adviser warns 12.50 Time for a reckoning. Just how cold is it this March? Environment Correspondent Louise Gray has sent me the (very) cold, hard facts. There has been much debate whether 2013 will be the coldest March ever. The question is whether it will make it into the top ten coldest Marches on record. At the moment the average is 3.1C (11th coldest on record) but if it stays cold - as forecast - it may be slightly colder than that. Met Office reckon it may be as cold as 1986 when temperatures fell to 3C or 1970 when it was 2.9C. UK top 10 coldest March's: 12.32 Driving winds continue to hamper the efforts of hundreds of engineers as they try to reconnect properties still without power. These aerial shots of the Isle of Arran off the coast of Scotland, which was battered by a fierce snowstorm yesterday, give a sense of what they're up against. 12.14 Like a pig in.... snow. Pigs in snow at Muncaster Castle. Image: Muncaster Castle 12.06 In apocalyptic times like this, I like to turn for reassurance to the rock that is Alan Titchmarsh. Not a plain rock of course, a lovely ornamental garden rock. "Economists could take a leaf out of nature's book," he writes in today's column, "and remember that spring will always follow winter." Even if it really, really doesn't seem like it will? It is no coincidence that economists refer, albeit infrequently at present, to "the green shoots of recovery." Even they, divorced from the reality of nature in their steel and glass towers (ivory now being a rightly unacceptable commodity), have clung to an analogy that reflects our ultimate reliance on nature and the natural world. In my own line of work, in the same way that spring is judged to have arrived when the song of the cuckoo first echoes across the water meadows, I can mark its arrival - or failure to materialise - by the first phone call from a journalist inquiring, "What has gone wrong?" You will appreciate my sanguine response when I explain that most newshounds consider that spring is always early/late/too hot/too cold/too wet/too dry. And they are right. It is invariably one or the other. Read Alan's full column: Nature is more reliable than the economy 11.48 As we eagerly await this Spring heatwave, Government advisers have warned today that schools and hospitals need to be updated now to cope with heatwaves and floods caused by global warming. My colleague Louise Gray reports: Under the Climate Change Act, the Government is legally obliged to set out plans on how the country will adapt to floods and droughts caused by global warming. The first so-called National Adaptation Plan, which has to be updated every five years, is due out by the end of this year. A new study by the London School of Economics and University of Leeds claims the UK is is already a degree warmer than in the 1970s and extreme weather events such as the 2007 floods and 2003 heatwave are likely to become more frequent. It says parts of southern England could warm by up to 7C by 2050. Read the full story: Schools should be 'retrofitted' to cope with climate change. According to a press release today from Defra, 13 Local Authorities will be receiving funds from the £5million 'Flood Resilience Community Pathfinder scheme' to reduce the level of flood risk. More on that later. 11.34 The big question on everyone's minds tonight will surely be: is the Blue Square Conference South game between Chelmsford and Eastbourne Borough going to go ahead? Last time these two sides met Chelmsford edged it 1-0. Will Borough have the chance to exact revenge? The weather in Chelmsford looks pretty mild for the rest of the day. If I were a betting man, I'd bet yes. 11.20 Speaking of high snow drifts, this picture was taken yesterday by Northern Ireland Area Traffic Watch in Dromara, Co Down. Take a look at their Facebook page for live updates on road disruption in the area. 11.06 Engineers are working to reconnect thousands of properties still without power on the west coast of Scotland, where 18,000 homes were reportedly plunged into darkness by snow and gales. They are struggling to reach power lines in more rural areas however because of the snow drifts. Engineers from Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution have worked late into the night and began again at first light this morning, according to a spokeswoman. The network has suffered significant damage with the gale-force winds and snow drifts over the course of Friday and Saturday but I can assure all the customers we are doing all we can to ensure we restore power as quickly as possible. Transport Minister Keith Brown, speaking this morning on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland from Brodick, Arran, said the greatest challenge for people on the island is snow drifts which are 20ft (6m) high in places. 10.55 A man shovels snow from the road in Sutton, Cheshire. 10.49 Areas of the country affected by the Met Office yellow warning (severe weather) on Monday morning: Central, Tayside & Fife, Grampian, Highlands & Eilean Siar, North East England, Northern Ireland, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders, Strathclyde, Yorkshire & Humber. 10.41 Drivers and pedestrians are being warned by the Met Offic about the dangers of black ice during their commute this morning. Lying snow in many areas will melt on roads and pavements by day, refreezing by night to give icy patches. The public should be aware of the potential for disruption to travel due to icy patches and snow blowing back onto roads. 10.36 Dust off your beachwear, ladies and gents, the coldest March for 25 years could actually bring a spring heatwave. Environment Correspondent Louise Gray reports: Temperatures will struggle to get above 2C, some 10C lower than average and feel even colder in the sharp winds up to 45mph. At night the mercury will plunge to -5C in most places and -10C in rural spots. The freezing conditions are being caused by a "blocking" pattern of high pressure to the north east of Britain bringing in cold winds from Scandinavia. However the Met Office 3 month forecast suggests that the same pattern could also bring a welcome heatwave by the end of spring. Just a nudge to the south will mean winds come in from much warmer parts of the Continent. Even if that does not happen, as the interior of Europe warms (including Scandinavia) it will mean that the UK enjoys much warmer weather and will be protected from westerly gales. 10.30 Good morning snowy Britain. The first day of spring has come and gone and yet winter still has its icy grip on the nation. Thousands of homes across the UK are without power, roads remain impassable, and some public transport has been disrupted. Tune in here for updates throughout the day, as well as your regular fix of snow pictures.