Met Office forecasters have painted a bleak picture for Britain in the coming days, with icy temperatures descending on the nation by Thursday.
Brits are in for weather chaos in the coming days, according to the Met Office, as bitterly cold gusts bring snow, ice and frost to the doors of many. The forecaster says unsettled conditions will start as wind and rain for many, before worsening as an icy cold blast from further north hits the UK.
Paul Gundersen, chief forecaster for the Met Office, said: “The coastal gales and rain in the south of the UK will ease by the late afternoon of New Year’s Day, while at the other end of the country wintry showers are starting to feed into northern Scotland. Northern parts of the UK are already experiencing colder conditions but by Thursday morning the much colder air will reach remaining parts of the south and southeast.
“Overnight we have a series of National Severe Weather Warnings in place with a combined yellow warning for both snow and ice for northern Scotland, while a yellow ice warning is in place as far south as the Midlands. Standing water remaining from the heavy rainfall of the last few days will freeze, creating a risk for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians navigating untreated surfaces. Wintry showers remain a hazard especially for north-facing coasts and hills.”
The forecaster said while Thursday will be fine and dry, it will feel “much colder” with the trend continuing into Friday. Overnight ice could extend south to the south-western regions. Dan Holley, deputy chief forecaster for the Met Office, said: “An Atlantic frontal system is likely to move across parts of central and southern UK through the weekend. With milder, moisture-laden air engaging with the cold conditions already in place this may bring a spell of snow in some areas, before possibly turning back to rain in the south.
“At this stage there is a fair amount of uncertainty over exactly which areas will see disruptive snow, with parts of Wales, northern England and the Midlands most likely to see some impacts. Here we could see 5cm or more in quite a few areas, and perhaps as much as 20-30cm over high ground, including Wales and the Pennines. Coupled with strengthening winds this could lead to drifting, making travelling conditions difficult over higher-level routes in particular.
“We’ve currently issued a Yellow warning for snow covering a large part of England, Wales and southern Scotland to cater for possible disruption over the weekend, but it’s quite likely this will be refined over the coming days as confidence in the forecast increases. So it’s worth keeping up to date with the latest warnings.”
