Weather maps show the temperature is set to plunge over the weekend and with it we could see snow flurries arrive as a cold northerly wind moves down across the country
Brits are set to tumble with weather maps showing it could bring snow this weekend.
After a long warm and dry summer, there has been an unsettled start to September and this is expected to continue over the coming days. Stormy weather last weekend and into Monday saw heavy rain and gusts reach as high as 74mph in the Isle of Wight. And there is plenty more in store while we could also get some snow flurries as a chilly northerly wind moves in.
“Two features really stand out, the first is just how much rainfall we are going to see through the weekend across parts of northwest England and North Wales,” said BBC weather forecaster Elizabeth Rizzini.
“There could be as much as 75mm to 100mm of rainfall through the weekend, that could lead to some localised flooding, with it having been a very wet month so far of course. The second is just how warm it is going to feel on Friday and how cold it will be feeling by Monday, so we are in for a plunge in temperatures.”
Maps show a low pressure over the country on Saturday and overnight into Sunday there are expected to be some flurries of snow in southern Scotland the northeast of England.
What will be striking will be the sudden drop in temperatures, with Friday being a warm day for many areas and it could even reach the mid-20Cs but in the early hours of Sunday it will be close to 0C.
Ms Rizzini said: “We start to see low pressure developing on Saturday, that’s going to change things. So some really strong gusty winds, gusting as high as 60mph to 70mph for southwest England, south Wales, some heavy rain too particularly across northwest England, down through north Wales”
That low pressure moves northwards on Saturday night and at the same time colder air comes down with Ms Rizzini adding: “We draw down a northerly wind, so it is going to start feeling a lot colder.”
The Met Office has also issued a yellow warning for rain which run from 9am on Saturday until 6am Sunday and covers parts of northern England, Scotland and Wales. There is another separate alert for an area of Northern Ireland from 12pm on Saturday until 3am in the morning.
The national weather agency has said there is a chance of snow by the end of the weekend. It states: “As the low-pressure system pulls away to Scandinavia late on Sunday a cooler air mass will spill in from the north, replacing the recent warmth and there is a chance of snow over the very highest mountain peaks by the end of the weekend.”
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Tom Crabtree, said for the weekend: “Through this period 20-40 mm of rain is expected to fall widely, with some locations perhaps seeing 60-100 mm, with much of this total falling in just a few hours. From mid-Saturday onwards, increasingly strong gusty winds and perhaps some thunder will also accompany the rainfall, further increasing the risk of disruption.
“Strong winds are also likely in southwest England, western Wales and later parts of the northeast. These may potentially exceed 55 miles per hour, however, the exact location and timing remain uncertain at this time. We’re closely monitoring developments and may issue more warnings as the situation evolves. It’s important to stay up to date with our forecasts over the coming days.”
