Met Office warns 'heavy' snowfall is set to hit Greater Manchester

Snow is expected to fall in parts of the UK today on what could be the coldest night of the year. And the Met Office are now forecasting ‘heavy’ snowfall in parts of our region on Tuesday morning.

Winds from the Arctic are set to start sweeping across the country today (Sunday) marking the beginning of a week-long severe cold snap.

A yellow weather warning for snow and ice is in place all day today and into Monday, covering areas including the Highlands and the Orkney and Shetland Islands. Temperatures there could also plummet as low as -10 degrees celsius.

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The Met Office warns parts of northern Scotland could see around 10cm of snow over the next two days. Northern Ireland could also see up to 5cm of snow on higher ground on Monday, with a yellow warning in place from 3am until the end of the day.

Greater Manchester is expected to remain dry, but cold, today. Parts of north east England and Cumbria could also see some snow however.

The Met Office weather map for Tuesday morning

Forecasters predict the snow will then move south over the course of the week, with the potential for wintry weather in parts of northern England on Tuesday, including in Greater Manchester.

The latest Met Office weather maps show a blanket of snow moving its way across the Irish Sea and the western coast, including Liverpool and Blackpool, in the early hours of Tuesday.

It is then expected to reach the western edge of Greater Manchester, including Wigan, by around 4am. There is then the likelihood of snowfall for several hours across the region between 5am and 10am.

The most up-to-date forecast for central Manchester says there is a 60 percent chance of ‘light snow’ from around 6am. However, they say there is a more than 80pc chance of ‘heavy snow’ from around 9am.

The conditions are likely to have moved eastwards over the Peak District by around 10am. However, there is the chance of some hailstorms in the northern parts of the region, including Bolton, in the mid-afternoon, and some rain and potentially sleet elsewhere later around teatime.

There is also the possibility of some light snowfall during the night on Tuesday and into the early hours of Wednesday.

Southern regions of the country are said to be at “low risk” of snow. No weather warnings are yet in place for Tuesday.

Met Office meteorologist Honor Criswick said: “It is going to be feeling pretty chilly in the north of Scotland. “Throughout the week we are going to see more and more snow showers and warnings, towards the end of the week we will probably see an accumulation.

The snow is expected to reach Manchester on Tuesday morning

“The warning is of 2cm to 5cm of snow, throughout the week there is the possibility we will see a build up of snow. The top temperature for Aberdeen is 2C on Sunday but it will probably feel cooler.

“Snow showers will be moving inland throughout the course of the day. It continues all day Sunday into Monday and we are likely to see an accumulation of snow and further warnings.

“We are going to see showers feeding across Scotland, Northern Ireland, and mainly the east coast of England. It should be dry and bright inland.

“On Tuesday, we are going to see more rain turning to snow moving east across the country, with more prolonged snow and more accumulations at low levels in the north of Scotland and northern England. That’s where we could see 5cm or 10cm of snow in low-lying areas. There’s a very low chance the south might see a bit of it.”

The Met Office and UK Health Security Agency have issued a Cold-Health alert and urged people to check on elderly and vulnerable family, friends and neighbours with temperatures set to plummet below freezing.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: “The temperatures we will see leading into the weekend can rapidly have a serious impact on the health of those over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions as it increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections.

“It therefore vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours to ensure they are well prepared for the cold weather next week.”