A 600 mile long band of snow looks set to batter parts of Britain this week with many in the grips of freezing cold weather, the latest weather maps show.
Snow stretches from Thurso on the north coast of Scotland to Cardiff on the Bristol Channel by midday on Friday (March 1), according to WX Charts.
While some 10cm of snow looks set to fall per hour in parts of the Highlands, Perth & Kinross and Aberdeenshire, further south less than a centimetre appears likely.
The Met Office‘s five day forecast expects Friday to remain cold and unsettled, with spells of dry and rainy weather throughout the week.
WX Charts’ weather maps show rain heaviest in western parts of the UK on Friday, with 41mm in Dumfries and Galloway, 40mm in Gwynedd and 45mm in parts of the Highlands.
Elsewhere, rainfall totals aren’t as high, with 22mm in Hampshire, 5mm in Lincolnshire, 8mm in Norfolk and 10mm in Kent by 9am on March 1.
It will be a chilly end to the working week for many, as the mercury plunges below freezing across much of the country overnight on Thursday.
The coldest areas will be in the western Highlands as -5C is expected there, but temperatures will struggle to rise a degree or two above freezing across the rest of the UK.
Minimum temperatures will rise a few degress by 3pm, with 0C-4C in the north of England, 5C-6C acorss the Midlands, 6C-7C in the south and 2C to 5C in Wales. It will also feel cold in Northern Ireland where the mercury will sink as low as 1C-2C, according to WX Charts.
Met Office UK five day weather forecast
Tuesday, February 27 – Saturday, March 2
Headline: Rain spreading southeast through the day.
Today: A largely dry start for southern parts with mist and fog patches soon clearing as rain and cloud sinks southeast through the day, though weakening as it goes. Sunny spells and blustery showers follow behind further north.
Tonight: Rain and drizzle clearing to the southeast allowing further mist and fog patches to form overnight. Further rain and strong winds arriving in the far west by dawn.
Wednesday: A dry start for much of the country on Wednesday, but with rain a drizzle moving eastwards and covering all parts by the afternoon. Rain heaviest on western hills.
Outlook for Thursday to Saturday: Dry to start on Wednesday with further rain arriving from the west, turning heavy at times through Thursday. Remaining cold and unsettled for Friday.
