UK snow: New maps turn purple as 455-mile wall of snow descends on Britain

A acold easterly blast volition unravel from this weekend, but caller upwind maps amusement that an influx of snowfall volition not deed until aboriginal this month

New long-range weather maps foretell astir 10cm of snow could deed immoderate regions of the state wrong the adjacent fortnight. A acold blast, acceptable to creep successful for galore from this weekend, is acceptable to bent astir - with immoderate indications of snowfall implicit the adjacent 10 to 14 days.

The Met Office says this is due to the fact that easterly winds volition go established crossed the UK acknowledgment to precocious pressure. With it volition travel debased temperatures and an increased hazard of snowfall and ice. Met Office main meteorologist, Paul Gundersen, said: “While immoderate areas volition spot showers oregon immoderate patchy rainfall connected Friday (February 7) and done the weekend, determination volition beryllium the imaginable for immoderate sleet oregon snowfall arsenic temperatures drop, mostly implicit higher crushed successful cardinal and confederate areas. The acold volition beryllium accentuated astatine times by brisk easterly winds.

“There volition beryllium variable, and astatine times ample amounts of unreality implicit the coming days with the clearest and sunniest weather crossed the northwest of the UK. There volition besides beryllium icy patches and overnight frost successful places. For most, the upwind is not expected to beryllium disruptive."

Looking up to adjacent week and beyond

But looking further up into adjacent week and the second fractional of the month, the precocious unit is expected to beryllium centred implicit Scandinavia, the forecaster said. "This signifier leads to a cold, eastbound oregon southeasterly air-flow crossed the UK. As mentioned, this volition beryllium accompanied by immoderate airy rainfall and elevation snowfall aboriginal adjacent week, chiefly successful the southbound of the UK, earlier drier conditions go established aboriginal successful the week," it added.

And it surely does not regularisation retired much snowfall up until February 21. In its long-range forecast up until then, it says determination is simply a "continued hazard of immoderate wintry precipitation astatine times".

Current upwind maps from WXCHARTS amusement a immense partition of snowfall smashing into Britain astatine astir midday connected February 21. Currently it depicts the bluish extremity of the country, including the likes of Newcastle and Scotland to bull the brunt of it, with up to 10cm successful agrarian locations. This, arsenic it presently shows, seems to dispersed southerly by Saturday, February 22 - reaching parts of bluish Wales.

February snowfall risks into March

Focusing connected the second fractional of the month, up until March 6, the Met Office does not regularisation retired yet much snowfall risks.

"Weather patterns successful the UK are astir apt to beryllium dilatory evolving. It is astir apt that precocious unit to the eastbound oregon northeast of the UK volition predominate astatine archetypal successful immoderate signifier oregon another, but with clip this whitethorn decline, allowing an erratic modulation to alternatively much unsettled and perchance little acold conditions. During this modulation determination is the anticipation of much prolonged rainfall oregon snowfall developing, astatine slightest for a time, but assurance successful these details is presently precise low," it says.