While Brits may have been enjoying what felt like an early onset of summer in recent weeks, a wintry cold snap is set to bring temperatures plummeting down at the end of this month. Weather maps depict a flurry of snow across the country and lows of -2C that will come as soon as this morning for some parts of the UK.
The mercury reached as high as 16C in some parts of the UK at the beginning of the week, but that won’t last.
Maps from WX Charts show that snow could return, with a few inches falling in central Scotland and light flurries in England. Meanwhile, temperatures could drop below freezing.
The country is also braced for the possibility of a Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) phenomenon, which could hit at the start of March and bring very cold temperatures with it – and possibly even something resembling the Beast from the East.
The warming of the stratosphere in the north east, near to areas like Greenland and Scandinavia, can see an eventual, delayed, effect on the UK’s weather – often taking more than a fortnight to materialise.
Jim Dale, senior meteorologist for British Weather Services, told Express.co.uk that the “current favoured target” for a dramatic cold snap was “central and Eastern Europe,” but added: “The game is not over yet.”
BBC forecaster Helen Willetts said: “Behind this weather front we’ve got a change in wind direction so that northwesterly will bring a chillier feel for much of us, quite a bit of cloud, some rain as well, that rain really dragging its heels to clear in the southeast and East Anglia, and something a little bit wintry over the hills but it is February after all.
“I think what we will notice is more blue sky. In fact sparkling skies for many but temperatures will be 3C or 4C lower than they have been, back down to average.
“Now there could be a few wintry flurries heading their way southwards during Wednesday night into Thursday, I think the main thing Thursday morning is the chilly start. A fairly widespread frost returning for many and it won’t be the only frost that we see in the coming nights either. Ridge of high pressure.”
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In terms of the weekend, Ms Willetts added: “Then that high pressure returns pushing those weather fronts away, the isobars open up so it becomes less windy as we move into the weekend which means that we will have some night time frosts. So some chilly nights to come over the weekend once again.”
According to the Met Office, today is set to have a cloudy start with patches of rain. This will then clear through the morning, into a bright afternoon with sunny spells and the occasional shower. The maximum temperature- for the day is set to be 11C.
Thursday will have some sunny spells, but the temperature will increasingly start to bite. Friday and Saturday are similarly set to be cloudy.
