UK snow maps reveal 8-day blizzard hitting as far south as London with -2C freeze | Weather | News
Despite soaring temperatures in the UK today, icy conditions and snow look set to be imminent for many.
Advanced weather forecast maps show it could snow for eight days in a row later this month as major cities including London welcome some of the white stuff.
Snowstorms are expected to begin on 13 March as the ECMWF weather model shows sparse snowpack developing across Scotland, northern England and parts of the south-west.
An Atlantic weather front looks set to arrive on March 14, with heavy rain hitting the rest of England and Wales, while snow falls in Northern Ireland, southern Scotland and northern England.
Maps show that more snow will fall on March 15, again limited to the northern regions. Cities such as Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle may witness some showers around 6am.
Data for 16 and 17 March shows light snow falling over the hills in Scotland. Some wintry showers may also affect south Wales and south-west England around midday on 17 March.
The snow is then expected to drift eastward. Maps at 6am on March 18 surprisingly show snow affecting southern England and London.
More white stuff is expected to affect Northern Ireland, northern England and Scotland on March 19 and 20; This will complete eight consecutive days of snowfall.
According to the maps, temperatures are expected to drop below freezing from time to time during this period. On March 18, the mercury could drop as low as -2C in northern England and Scotland.
Even in southern England daytime temperatures can struggle to get much above 4C.
The Met Office warns “winter hazards” could affect the UK later this month. But the national weather agency isn’t predicting “really cold” conditions.
The Met Office’s forecast for 19 March to 2 April reads: “The beginning of this period may see fairly widespread unsettled conditions across the UK, with rain and strong winds likely to affect many areas at times.
“Although confidence in the details is low, there is the potential for weather patterns to move more slowly towards the end of March, with unstable weather conditions becoming more confined to parts of the south as areas to the north and northwest become drier. “Given this pattern, the likelihood of winter hazards will increase compared to early March.
“Overall temperatures are likely to be near average, although towards the end of March there is an increasing chance of temperatures falling below average, although there is no strong sign at the moment that any truly cold weather will develop.”
