Met Office says potential for 'substantial' and 'disruptive' snow

There could be snow ahead

The UK’s official forecaster says there is a potential for ‘substantial’ and ‘disruptive’ snow next week as temperatures across the UK plummet. Some forecasters have predicted the UK will see the worst snow in 14 years with temperatures dropping as low as -15C.

Some weather charts show much of the UK blanketed in snow with falls in some places of up to 45cm. The mercury dropped to minus 11.1C at Aviemore in Scotland overnight on Tuesday, which ranks as the ninth coldest night this winter so far, according to the Met Office.

The forecasting body said a “more northerly wind” and “Arctic influence” is expected to descend over the UK on Sunday, dragging temperatures down. Much of the UK will remain cool and dry for the rest of this week with daytime maximum temperatures set to remain in the low single figures in the south, according to the Met Office.

Thursday is likely to kick off windy and frosty in the south before the frost risk flips on Friday with more chance of it in the north, but both days should stay largely dry. A band of rain is expected to move over northern Scotland late on Friday before it makes its way southward on Saturday, turning into “drizzly rain or cloud” for some.

Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon told the PA news agency: “From Sunday, however, is where we can see a bit of another change in the weather and turning things cooler again. It’s turning to more of a northerly regime, so we’re starting to see more a northerly wind and more of an Arctic influence over the UK’s weather which increases the risk of wintry hazards to the north initially in particular.

“So by the time you get to Sunday there’s a chance of snow showers in northern areas, particularly near the coast, it’s something we’re keeping an eye on at the moment.”

He said the Met Office will keep watch of the colder temperatures and the potential risk of ice, with the “possibility of some Met Office warnings needing to be issued”.

Mr Dixon continued: “By the middle and end of next week there’s a chance, as warmer air moves in from the south west, of some snow further south, but at this range it’s not possible to pick out anything in terms of detail as to extent or likelihood of that one.”

He explained that warmer air from the Atlantic coming in from the south west may produce a snow risk when it meets the cold air in situ over the UK. Mr Dixon went on: “Temperatures would rise in behind that slightly – I mean rise in inverted commas as it’s still in winter – but it would be relatively milder air in behind that.”

The lowest daily minimum temperature of this winter so far is minus 12.5C, recorded at Altnaharra on December 3. An amber cold health alert for the north west of England, the Midlands, the south west of England and the south east of England is in place until noon on Friday.

The amber alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), means “cold weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service for an extended period of time”.

Tony Wardle is a Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster. He said: “There is the potential for some disruptive snow through the middle to latter part of next week as warmer Atlantic air attempts to push in from the southwest.

“As this occurs, some substantial snow could fall in some places, but the details of that are uncertain at the moment.”