Temperatures are set to plummet to -5C in Sussex in the coming days with the Met Office issuing a "severe" cold weather alert. 

The alert comes into place at 6pm today and lasts for five days until 9am on Monday, December 12. 

All of Sussex is included in the warning and temperatures will plummet to -5C in Crawley and Haywards Heath tomorrow. 

And it will feel even colder than that, with the whole county braced for what will feel like temperatures of -7C.

The Met Office has said that the weather could increase health risks to vulnerable people.

This evening is the first time since March that Sussex will reach sub-zero temperatures. 

The region will be hit with arctic air moving southwards, according to the Met OFfice. 

A spokesman for the national weather service said: "Very cold nights are expected, with widespread frosts and potentially severe frosts.

"Daytime temperatures persisting near or just above freezing, with overnight temperatures continuing to trend downwards.

"Wintry showers are also likely to affect some coasts, perhaps pushing into some inland areas at times, bringing a risk of icy patches."

The alert is a level three, just one step below a level four "national emergency".