Weather maps have turned a deep purple as they forecast a repetitive snow deluge around northern counties and Scotland as the middle of the week arrives.
Flurries first materialised over the weekend and have intensified over the last two days, settling inches deep over high ground. Much of that snow has fallen over Scotland, primarily on the east coast, where totals have reached 27cm (10.6 inches).
The snow has since drifted south, and the Met Office expects the weather system will push up from the southern coast and into England later this week.
Blizzards could be on the cards for this weekend, maps have suggested, as another round of extreme conditions follow the bitter cold snap.
Charts released by weather experts show that snow will continue to fall in Scotland after showers dissipate later this week. Maps from WXCharts show snow depths rising to 28cm (11 inches) over high ground in the home nation on January 20.
The snowfall will be sustained over the following day when winds arrive from across the Atlantic. Wind radar modelling from Meteoblue and Windy shows a vicious gusty mass arriving from the southwest early in the morning on Sunday, January 21.
Explosive gusts will reach up to 40mph in some of Scotland’s snowiest areas, raising the risk of blizzards on the east and west coasts. On exposed coastlines, wind strengths could double that to 80mph.
Precipitation maps from the Met Office show hail and rain falling at the same time, promising Scots a potentially chaotic weekend.
Most of the precipitation will revert to rain later in the day, where more ice will be expected overnight. By next week, it’s expected more rain will fall – exacerbating flooding fears for many.
WXCharts maps have pinpointed showers washing over the west coast on Monday, January 22, with systems set to pour out between 34mm and 39mm in southern Wales and up to 41mm per hour in Scotland.
Elsewhere in England, from the Midlands to several communities just outside London, will see between 11mm and 24mm work of rainfall per hour.
The Met Office long-range forecast predicts the “milder and wetter” conditions will continue until Thursday, January 30, and rain could become “heavy at times” across high ground in the west.
