Shocking weather maps show Britain is to be engulfed by a 472-mile wall of snow stretching from Wick in Scotland down to Greater Manchester from the end of next week.
This comes as the Met Office has warned the UK could be hit with “disruptive” snow as temperatures are set to drop.
The forecaster has also issued yellow weather warnings for snow and ice from Sunday, January 14, until late on January 15. The warning will come into place across northern Scotland from 12am on Sunday and from 3am on Monday for Northern Ireland.
In Scotland, temperatures could plummet to -4C and some low-lying areas could see 10cm of snow in just a few hours.
However, the latest weather maps show temperatures are set to plunge even further to -15C with snowfall spreading across England Wales and Northern Ireland over the coming week.
According to WX Charts, by January 19, snow will affect all of Scotland and spread to Lancashire and Greater Manchester and parts of Northern Ireland.
Commenting on wintry conditions towards the end of next week, the weather experts at the Met Office said: “Towards the end of the week or more likely over next weekend, the start of a transition back to less cold conditions is likely as Atlantic systems start to arrive from the west bringing spells of rain and strong winds. Whilst conditions should gradually turn milder, this transition brings the chance of spells of snow.”
Looking at the weather forecast over the next few days, however, Jim Dale, Senior Meteorologist at British Weather Services warned temperatures will drop by mid-week: “Scotland will be worst hit Monday to Wednesday, but we will all be in the freezer. We could see -15C in the western Highlands by Wednesday morning.”
Ahead of the freezing conditions set to cover Britain, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued an amber health alert, meaning that the impacts of the weather are likely to be felt across the health service for a long period.
To help support people during cold snaps like these, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) runs the Cold Weather Payment scheme for qualifying households. This is a one-off payment of £25 that is triggered for every seven-day period where the temperature in your area is at or below zero degrees – you can see if you are eligible here.
Age UK, has issued advice for those worried about the cold weather, and listed how to cope and prepare yourself in the weather, and how to focus on your help.
Planning to stock up on food essentials, medication, and spare batteries is advised during cold snaps.
