The UK is braced for a period of freezing weather with temperatures set to plunge as low as -11C in some parts. The latest weather maps from forecaster WXCharts show a wintry blizzard hitting Britain as the mercury drops and snow falls.
One map shows temperatures ranging from -8C to -11C on the north coast of Scotland at 12pm on Saturday, January 10. The mercury will be as low as -3C elsewhere in Scotland while parts of England will also drop below freezing. The map shows temperatures of -2C in Norwich, and -1C in London and Birmingham.
A separate map shows that heavy snow is likely to settle across Scotland and parts of England and Wales on January 10. Up to 48cm could land across the north of Scotland.
Meanwhile, northern parts of Wales could see up to 30cm of snow settle while the Midlands will also see heavy flurries. In Birmingham, around 21cm of snow could land at midday on January 10.
There will also be flurries across large parts of England, with the South West and the south coast set to be the only regions unaffected. Belfast and parts of Northern Ireland are also braced for snowfall.
A third “Winter Overview” map shows the blizzard arriving in the UK, with a band of snow and rainfall sweeping in from the west. The map shows heavy snow falling in Northern Ireland on January 10.
Separately, in its long-range UK forecast, which runs from Thursday, January 8 until Saturday, January 17, the Met Office says “Atlantic frontal systems” will attempt to cross the UK from the west. These systems will “bring occasional outbreaks of rain, but preceded by snow in some areas”.
The forecaster expects the snow to fall across “central, northern and eastern parts of the UK”. The Met Office adds that there could be “significant snow accumulations in places, particularly on northern hills.”
They continue: “These low pressure systems, whilst could bring some periods of strong winds, will be interspersed with quieter, drier interludes under transient ridges of high pressure with the potential for frost, and wintry showers along coasts exposed to northerly winds.
“A continuation of this general pattern is favoured into the following week, although perhaps with temperatures trending closer to average such that the frequency of wintry hazards, especially in the south, may reduce slightly.”