Millions of Britons could be set for snow just days before Christmas, as forecast maps turn purple and white across the UK.
Data collected by wxcharts.com shows snowfall across large areas of the country on Saturday, December 21, with an ominous blob of white hanging over major cities including Manchester and Birmingham, and most of Wales.
The map indicates rain over a large area further south, including in London and southern areas of Wales.
Most of the rest of the UK is forecast to have snow or accumulations of snow by 6am that day, with more severe snowfall in northern Scotland.
Falling snow and accumulations are forecast to continue in following two days and moving to include more southern areas, though not quite as far down Great Britain as the capital.
However, British Weather Services founder and forecaster Jim Dale told Express.co.uk that the jury’s out in terms of which parts of the country will see snow over the festive period, if any.
“If anywhere’s going to see any snow pre-Christmas, in those few days before, it’s probably going to be Scotland and more likely to be the higher ground of Scotland than it is anywhere else.
But he stressed that there is a “long ways to go”. “We just have to be a little bit patient and see how the models handle this,” he continued. “But at the moment the favourite areas are tending to be Scandinavia through central, eastern Europe, even as far south as Greece sometimes, that sort of area.
Given Christmas is still more than two weeks away, Dale warned that predictions will “ebb and flow” and are difficult to predict.
“What we’re tending to see at the moment is a dominance of high pressure coming back behind the low pressure”, in the wake of Storm Darragh’s arrival in the UK.
Dale cautioned that high pressure is “never a million miles away in terms of the general play of things”.
“By the weekend I think we’ll get more wind and high pressure will regress a little bit, then you get the cold coming down, and then it will go back again. And that’s basically what we’re seeing.”
Meanwhile, a Met Office yellow warning is in place for wind and rain on Sunday covering much of England and Wales after Darragh unleashed 100mph winds and left thousands across Wales and the west of England without power.
Power cuts are “likely” across England until 6pm today as forecasters warn of more weather disruption. All 55 cities in England are affected by the warning which is in place until 6pm.
There are likely to be gusts of 35-45mph inland, even reaching 70mph around coasts during the morning, the Met Office said.
It means that further travel disruption and power cuts are likely until 6pm, the national weather service said.
The Met Office said in its warning on Sunday: “Storm Darragh is likely to cross Ireland late Friday, then parts of England and Wales on Saturday, clearing to the east of England on Saturday night or early Sunday.
“Darragh could bring a period of strong winds to much of the warning area. Winds will initially be from a southerly direction, but the strongest winds are likely as the low clears away when northerly or northwesterly winds may quite widely gust to around 40-50 mph inland but locally could gust in excess of 60 mph.
“Around coasts, winds may gust to 60-70 mph, perhaps locally nearer 80 mph. The wind may cause disruption to travel, with difficult driving conditions likely. The duration of the strongest winds in any one location is likely to be less than 24 hours, but this warning is for a more extended period to cover the passage of the strong winds over the whole country.
“These start in the west on Friday evening, and clear from the east coasts of England and Scotland early on Sunday.”
The government agency then warned that households must take care to prepare for the storm, adding: “Prepare to protect your property and people from injury. Check for loose items outside your home and plan how you could secure them. Items include; bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds, and fences.
You can find the latest warnings and guidance here.