New UK weather maps show the country being blasted by an Arctic freeze that could see temperatures drop to -9C for 72 hours straight.
Maps from WXCHARTS show that snow will hit Scotland later this week before spreading south on Sunday evening. Then, between 10cm and 15cm of snow could fall reach southern England by Wednesday, with depths of up to 20cm forecast for northern Scottish regions like Inverness.
While the bulk of the snowfall is headed towards Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, parts of England could also get a dusting, with a maximum of 3cm in Greater Manchester and a sprinkling of under 5cm extending all the way down to Hampshire by November 23.
Temperatures are also expected to take a turn for the chillier during the same period, with London potentially set for lows of -8C on November 21 and Birmingham and Manchester braced for up to -9C.
The trend is set to continue over the next 72 hours, with parts of north eastern England not clearing until midnight on November 23.
It comes after the Met Office acknowledged the chance of snow across a 475-mile stretch of the UK, accompanied by decidedly chillier temperatures and icy winds.
The shift towards a more wintry climate is set to begin in the coming days, with some parts of the UK experiencing lows of around 6C this week.
The Met Office’s long-range forecast from November 17 to 26 predicts a “significant” temperature drop, with rain and showers for most UK regions.
The forecast continues: “The heaviest and most frequent spells of rain are most likely in the north where they are like to turn wintry, especially to the hills of Scotland, but perhaps also to lower levels in the far north as colder air digs south.”
Despite the chance of “widespread or disruptive snowfall in populated areas” reportedly remaining low, the weather service acknowledged the likelihood of “some hill snow”, below-average temperatures and cool windows, especially in the north and south-east.
Today:
Foggy and frosty weather on Wednesday, clearing throughout the day but lingering in the northwest and Northern Ireland. Other parts of the country will stay dry with sunny spells and light rain across western Scotland.
Tonight:
Cloudy spells across western and central areas with fog expected in the north and frost in the south.
Thursday:
Cloudy weather across the UK with sunny spells in the southeast. Dry except for light drizzle in Western Scotland.
Outlook from Friday to Sunday:
Outbreaks of rain, mainly in the north, with overnight frost and fog in some places.
