UK cold weather: Expert reveals exact counties where chaotic snow blast will hit in hours

Britain has less than 48 hours until a drastic sub-zero weather front with snow is due to hit. Forecasters, including the Met Office, have warned of potential disruption for the UK throughout all of next week.

On Sunday, new weather maps show an easterly Arctic airmass pushing in from the east, with drizzly snow showers touching the eastern coast of England. It’s thought these showers, if they make landfall, will become more sporadic overnight into Monday.

This, according to the Met Office, is the first of three snow deluges set to arrive next week, all of which may affect different parts of the country at different times. But, according to one meteorologist, the amount of chaos expected is still very much in the air.

Jim Dale, a senior meteorologist for British Weather Services, said the track of the icy airmass, which will bring the snow, is still uncertain – despite the first weather event set to arrive in mere hours.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, he explained why there was still a wealth of uncertainty – but painted a picture of which areas may need to brace for travel disruption in the next seven days.

He said: “From Sunday night into Monday and beyond, the ice is a cert along with sub zero temperatures, with -12C Scotland way. Snow showers for Scotland will be widespread, and there will be some for northern England and Northern Ireland too this side of next Wednesday.”

Maps suggest Edinburgh and Carlisle will be among the areas affected early on Monday morning, with the Scottish Highlands caked in up to 12cm of snow by Tuesday.

However, by Wednesday, this snow deluge will spread further south, with Newcastle and County Durham set to get around 2cm.

Mr Dale added: “Between Wednesday and Thursday, an area of low pressure with an associated frontal system heads towards southern England, hitting the cold air over Northern France with snow and possibly southern counties of England (south of the M4).

“However, that moisture field could easily move 100 miles further north and more easily not make it into the south coast. Very fine lines, which is why all of this remains on ice (literally & otherwise) for now.”

Maps suggest places like Leeds, Manchester and Stoke could see up to 1cm of snow by next Friday, January 19 – with flurries set to hit Kent, London, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire in the hours leading up to that.

Currently, it remains unclear as to whether any snow will lay over the south, with the likelihood of flurries as opposed to severe snow fall favourable at present.

Temperatures will range from -3C in central England from Tuesday, with the mercury not recovering at all until at least the following week where thermometers could jolt back up to 5C in Kent.

Temperatures currently look set to return to milder conditions from January 25 where much of the south will see highs of 9C in places. But the Met Office has issued a veiled warning over what is set to be a colder second half of winter.

From January 26 to February 9, the Met Office long-range forecast says: “Through this period, the greatest likelihood is that high pressure will remain the more dominant influence on the weather, most likely centred somewhere to the northwest of the UK, with winds from the north or north-east perhaps more frequent than usual, with generally reduced amounts of precipitation.

“There is an increased chance, compared to normal of cold conditions along with the associated impacts from low temperatures.

“Even within a predominantly more settled pattern occasional frontal systems could still move in from the west or southwest at times, which while they would likely bring an interlude of slightly milder, more unsettled weather, for a time, this would also introduce a risk of snow and ice where it meets the colder air in place across the UK.”

Today:

An often cloudy day but mostly dry, with occasional sunny intervals and the odd spot of drizzle possible over the hills. Still feeling rather chilly for most with generally light winds. Some rain arriving later in northern Scotland.

Tonight:

Patchy rain slowly edging south across Scotland. Mostly dry elsewhere and rather cloudy. Some cloud breaks, where patchy fog and frost is likely to form.

Saturday:

Another rather cloudy day with some sunny spells developing. Patchy rain moving south on Saturday, but becoming lighter. Winds turning northerly and freshening, feeling colder in the north.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:

Patchy rain moving south into Sunday with much colder and brighter conditions following. Showers turning to snow to low levels in the north Monday. More significant snow possible on Tuesday.