The UK faces a second spell of snow just hours after Storm Goretti moves away, with weather maps showing wintry conditions spreading from Scotland south through England and potentially reaching as far as the Bristol area.
The latest weather maps show a large and powerful storm system sitting to the west of the UK, pulling in cold air across the country. As the storm moves east, bands of snow are shown developing across much of Scotland and northern England, then extending southwards through the Midlands. Some of the snow shown on the maps also extends into southwest England, suggesting that parts of the Bristol Channel area could see snowfall if temperatures remain low enough, while other parts of UK are freezing with Scotland facing -10C.
The maps indicate that much of the UK remains cold enough for snow rather than rain, meaning any heavier bursts of precipitation are likely to fall as snow in many areas.
Shading on the charts highlights areas where snow is most likely to settle, with Scotland, northern England, Wales and the Midlands most at risk.
Even the southern parts of England are shown close to the boundary between rain and snow, making the exact outcome uncertain.
Storm Goretti is already bringing widespread disruption. The Met Office has issued Amber warnings for snow and wind, along with wider Yellow warnings. The strongest winds are expected across the Channel Islands and northern France.
However, southern England and Wales are also set to be affected, especially the southwest.
An Amber wind warning is in force for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, where gusts of 80–90 mph are possible in exposed locations. Elsewhere across southern England and Wales, gusts of 50–60 mph are expected, rising to 60–70 mph along exposed coasts and hills.
According to the Met Office, the storm’s impact should ease on Friday evening as it clears eastwards, but by Sunday, forecasters said there is a risk of further widespread snowfall.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Mark Sidaway said: “It’ll remain cold or very cold to start the weekend, although for most it will be dry. We then have very large uncertainties in the forecast by Sunday and Monday as milder air from the Atlantic tries to displace the cold air over the UK.
“This set-up brings a risk of some further widespread snowfall, so it’s important to stay aware of the forecast and any warnings which may be issued over the next few days.”