A fresh wave of wintry weather is set to blanket most of the UK in just a few days, according to new maps from WXCharts. The forecasts show snow hitting a stretch of the country from central Scotland down to the southeast English coast at midnight on Friday, January 24 as a storm sweeps across the North Sea.
Just 24 hours later, large parts of the UK will be covered in purple and blue as heavy snowfall mixes with rain, likely causing travel disruption and a drop in temperatures back to below-freezing. Maps reveal heavy snow moving across from Scandinavia to southern England and increased rainfall coming in from the west.
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This onslaught of cold and icy weather is expected to continue throughout Sunday, with snow settling in Scotland, north eastern England and Wales, while flurries continue to hit almost the entire country, except for the south western coast which is forecast for heavy rain showers. Northern and central Scotland are predicted to bear the brunt of the so-called Beast from the East, the jet stream heading in from eastern Europe and Siberia, with snow forecast to reach depths of up to 15cm around Inverness.
Cities in the East Midlands and Yorkshire will be worst hit in England, with the eastern coastline facing a particularly potent mix of heavy rain and snow. Around 5cm of snow could also accumulate around Cardiff in Wales and across most of Northern Ireland.
There’s no forecast suggesting a repeat of the extreme conditions seen during 2018’s Beast from the East, when powerful cold eastern winds, attributed to anticyclone Hartmut, led to the unprecedented red warning for snow across the UK, grounding flights, triggering power cuts and resulting in 17 fatalities. That said, the Met Office has flagged up that Brits should brace for “rain, showers and windy conditions” between January 18 and 27 as chilly air masses move across the nation, reports the Express.
This comes on the heels of a bracingly frosty start to January, with Scotland recording a bone-chilling -18.9C – a low not witnessed in 15 years – which brought along its fair share of flooding and frost. Currently, over 30 flood warnings remain active throughout England and Wales as a gradual rise in temperatures begins to melt some of the existing snow and ice.
However, don’t hurriedly stash away your winter warmers; we’re not quite out of the woods yet. According to the Met Office’s five-day forecast, expect cloudy but largely dry skies across the majority of the UK, punctuated by some drizzle in England and Wales and hill fog. Scotland and the northeast of England might see a few sunny breaks amidst the fog, with milder climes on the cards for northern regions.
Eastern parts of Scotland, the northeast of England and Cornwall might enjoy momentary relief from the murkiness, though be prepared for pockets of fog and frost, and stronger winds further north. Central and southern parts of England appear set for a stretch of grey skies, accompanied by widespread fog and the odd shower, while northwest Scotland faces rain showers.
The northeast will be hit with wind and rain, while central and southern England and Wales can expect cloudy, grey skies and patchy drizzle. However, it’s set to be brighter and milder up north.