New weather data suggests that the UK could be covered in snow on Wednesday with temperatures set to plummet across the country. Weather experts WXCharts.com have released new weather maps which shows a snowy weather picture across much of eastern and central Britain on Wenesday, March 12.
Rain will accompany the winter weather, according to the maps, as large periods of sunshine this weekend prove to be short lived. A Met Office forecast for this week said: “Rain spreads southwards through Monday marking a change to colder, cloudier conditions for the new week. Occasional sunny spells on Tuesday and Wednesday, mixed with a few wintry showers.”
Weather maps from WXCharts.com shows a band of snow running down the spine of the UK stretching from Inverness, through Manchester and down towards Cardiff and the south coast.
If correct, around 2-3cm of snow will fall every hour in affected areas, with freezing conditions increasing the likeliness of snow setting.
Additional weather data shows temperatures at around or below freezing as this weekends warmer weather gives way to an icy band.
The cold weather on Wednesday could be part of a wider band of wintery conditions set to his the UK as a “stratospheric” weather event prepares to grip the northern hemisphere.
The stratospheric weather event could see a warming event develop over the next two weeks, “leading to a collapse of the polar vortex,” according to a weather expert.
Daniel Adamson of MetDesk told the Guardian: “This will be the second and probably final disruption of the polar vortex this winter in the northern hemisphere, the first having taken place earlier last month, which was associated with a severe cold spell across much of the eastern half of the US. The next stratospheric event looks stronger than the previous one, and will probably weaken the jet stream pattern.
“This may allow a release of cold air from the polar regions to move southwards into North America or Eurasia, in turn increasing the risk of significant snow for some regions.”
A polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both of the earth’s poles.
Areas not hit by snow could be set for a wet few days this week as large parts of the UK prepare for rain.
Newcastle, Birmingham, London, south Wales and the southwest are set for hours of rain with between 3-55mm falling each hour throughout the afternoon of 12 March.
