The UK will be buried in a blanket of snow as far south as Kent and Sussex within a fortnight, according to weather maps. The huge barrage is set to sweep in over the Atlantic to hit the west of Britain on the morning of February 17, battering cities with rain and snow throughout the day.
By 6pm, a heavy cloud will hang over the UK according to WXCharts, which predicts the snow will stretch from Southampton to John O’Groats in Scotland. Baltic temperatures in the early hours of Tuesday could create a recipe for treacherous driving conditions, with extreme lows of -10C forecast in Cumbria. In London it could drop to -5C, the majority of Wales could reach -7C, while Glasgow could dip to -5C.
The heaviest snowfall has been forecast in the north of England, with 33cm of powder set to accumulate by 6pm between Cumbria and Northumberland.
In South Wales, a staggering 25cm of snow could fall, while Southampton could get 14cm. Scotland has a slightly lighter snow forecast, with snowfall predictions in the single figures, lower than Belfast in Northern Ireland, which could see up to 14C of powder.
By midnight, the huge barrage has been forecast to move over the UK and head towards the North Sea, leaving behind scattered rain. Showers could persist for the following days, until a slight respite on February 20, according to the maps.
The Met Office long-range forecast differs, although it said “some snow is likely” especially in colder air masses that filter south or east into the UK, and where cold and mild air interface.
It said some southern and western areas remain “most prone to seeing the wettest conditions, which will maintain sensitivity to further flooding impacts”. It added that parts of northeast Britain may also be wetter than normal.