Arctic air to bring big freeze as Met Office reveals when snow will hit UK next

The Met Office has revealed when snow is likely to fall again in the UK as an Arctic blast is set to bring more wintry conditions to the country.

Snow and sleet fell in London and the South-East earlier this week as temperatures plunged below freezing following a week of heavy downpours.

On Tuesday, the Met Office said the UK had the ninth coldest night this winter so far as the thermostat dropped to -11C at Aviemore in Scotland.

The forecaster said a more northerly wind and “Arctic influence” is expected to descend over the UK on Sunday, dragging temperatures down, with further snow expected next week.

Met Office head of situational awareness Will Lang said: “There will be a resurgence in the really cold weather through the weekend and that spreads across the whole of the UK during the early part of next week.

“Initially, this means there will be more in the way of showers around the coasts, turning increasingly to snow for many areas, especially further north.”

A spokesperson for the forecaster added that temperatures will drop significantly next week and will be close to 3C in the south of England and closer to freezing in the north.

Cars parked during a snow flurry in Lenham, Kent, on Monday (PA)

The wind chill next week, will however, make it feel significantly colder, they added. For the rest of the week the UK will remain cool and dry with daytime maximum temperatures set to remain in the low single figures in the south.

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 forecast for Sunday, 14 January (Met Office)

The lowest daily minimum temperature of this winter so far is minus 12.5C, recorded at Altnaharra on 3 December.

In addition to the cold weather, flooding has continued to be a major issue in parts of the UK following heavy downpours during Storm Henk.

The number of flood warnings in force for England is gradually decreasing following last week’s deluge, with 98 remaining in place as of Wednesday afternoon. There are also 116 flood alerts in effect highlighting where flooding is possible.

People living in Lightlands Lane in Cookham, Berkshire, have suffered from sewer flooding, according to Thames Water.

People walk through floodwater on a flooded street in Wraysbury, west of London on January 9, 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)

The water firm apologised to residents and said: “Unfortunately, flood defences next to Lightlands Lane Sewage Pumping Station were overwhelmed following recent heavy rainfall.

“This caused the site to flood, affecting our ability to pump sewage away from nearby properties. Our engineers will continue to carry out necessary repairs where it is safe to do so.”

Lightlands Lane sewage pumping station in Cookham, Berskhire which flooded after recent heavy rainfall (PA)

Thames Water added that it is using tankers to remove excess sewage to reduce the risk of further flooding and to ensure customers can continue to use their facilities at home.

Meanwhile, pupils at Eton College have been told to stay at home as the new term gets under way because of sewerage issues at the elite boarding school.

Staff and students were due to return to class on Tuesday but an overloaded local sewer system has prompted the school to move to remote learning.

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”.

A man walks dog through a snow flurry in Lenham, Kent, on Monday (PA)

MET OFFICE OUTLOOK

Wednesday evening:

Largely dry with clear periods and a frost across southern England, parts of south Wales and the west of Scotland. Cloudier skies elsewhere giving the odd spot of drizzle.

Thursday:

Sunshine across the south of England becoming increasingly confined towards the southwest. Some sunny spells across western Scotland and at times Northern Ireland too. Otherwise rather cloudy with some drizzle.

Friday to Sunday:

Mainly cloudy on Friday with patchy light rain or drizzle. Brighter, but colder and windier weather slowly spreading from the north during the weekend, with some snow showers in places.

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