The beginning of Spring could be interrupted by miles of snowfall heading to Britain next weekend. Snow maps from WXCharts have turned bright purple, indicating snow falling in the South-east of England. In just a matter of days, the soaring temperatures taking us into the next season will be grinding to a halt as snow flurries take over.
On March 15, sunshine and temperatures close to 20C will abruptly switch back to wintry conditions. Canterbury is set to see the heaviest snowfall, with up to 3cm per hour, as London faces 2cm hourly in the morning, too.
Showers of 1-2cm will extend beyond Luton and down to the southwest, covering a 171-square-mile area.
By 12pm on March 15, weather maps show the powder starting to settle inland with up to 3cm on the ground around Buckinghamshire.
Snow will also begin to move northwards and settle across a band stretching from Ipswich to Cardiff around midday.
Separately, the Met Office has predicted lower than normal temperatures hitting the UK. Its long-range prediction, covering March 11 to 20, shows temperatures set to drift “below normal” later this month.
It states that in the lead-up to the snowfall, high pressure will build across the UK from the northwest in the middle of next week. This will bring “north or northeasterly winds” and “a mixture of sunny spells and some showers.”
“The showers are likely to be most frequent in the north and east, and they will bring some snow to high ground. Temperatures are expected to be below normal,” the Met Office predicts.
Dryer conditions are expected to return for many areas across the country toward the end of the week and the following weekend, “although a few showers are likely along coasts.”
The Met Office added: “Temperatures will likely be below normal. Into the week after, conditions will probably become milder and more changeable with some periods of rain and strong winds,” the forecaster adds.