Met Office identifies when Arctic cold snap will finally end but more misery is coming

The Met Office said the mercury plunged to -11.2°C successful Braemer, Aberdeenshire and -10.7C successful Tulloch Bridge, Scottish Highlands, connected Tuesday arsenic snowfall caused question chaos

Forecasters astatine the Met Office person identified erstwhile the Arctic acold drawback volition extremity - but dense rainfall volition regenerate the weather.

The UK has endured sub-zero temperatures this week, with a debased of -11.2°C astatine Braemar successful Aberdeenshire recorded connected Tuesday arsenic snow yet arrived crossed the country. Some 12cm of snowfall fell astatine Watnall, Nottinghamshire and much is expected connected Wednesday, arsenic acold southbound arsenic Suffolk and Carmarthenshire.

But forecasters recognize the Arctic airmass volition yet subside connected Saturday, and temperatures volition emergence again. However, it means the ample swathes of the UK volition alternatively acquisition downpours, the heaviest of which are feared crossed northbound Wales, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and parts of West Yorkshire.

Sunday's outlook looks conscionable arsenic bleak with South West of England expected to look fierce downpours. Temperatures, though, should scope 16C successful the East of England connected Sunday, a important leap from today's freezing conditions.

Mike Silverstone, lawman main meteorologist astatine the Met Office, said: "A heavy country of debased unit looks apt to power the UK’s upwind this weekend. While this volition bring successful milder aerial to astir parts, it besides brings with it immoderate dense rainfall and beardown winds astatine times. It’s excessively aboriginal for precise detail, but there’s a imaginable for further warnings."

The southerly winds volition beryllium astatine their strongest connected Saturday day on the southbound seashore of England, from Hampshire successful the westbound to East Sussex. Gusts could transcend 40mph, forecasters astatine Ventusky believe.

Tuesday's deluge of snowfall led to chaos connected roads and the cancellations of bid services, including respective connected Northern Rail. More than 200 schools were forced to adjacent crossed the state too.

Ice volition go a hazard successful the coming days arsenic a effect of the snowfall. Weather warnings stay successful spot crossed the UK for snowfall and ice, and see alerts for Greater London, the Home Counties and parts of the Midlands.

The Met Office's website reads: "Rain, sleet and snowfall volition proceed to wide southwards crossed England and Wales with clearing skies to follow. Temperatures are expected to autumn beneath oregon adjacent to freezing rather wide crossed the informing country with icy patches forming connected untreated freezing surfaces."