UK snow maps see blizzards hammer as nation freezes | Weather | News
While snow maps show that an area in the United Kingdom may be covered in snow, it looks like it will devastate Britain within a few days. New maps created from WXCharts on 24 December using Met Desk data show much of Britain will experience snow on 8 January. Maps show Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and much of Northern England will see snow on the day.
Maps show the Midlands and southern England will also be hit by the blizzard, with Devon and Cornwall in the south likely to be hit, with Greater London also likely to be hit. If the maps are accurate this far ahead, Scotland will be the region hardest hit by snowfall.
A map suggests up to 10.2 inches (26 cm) of snow could fall on January 8 in Ross and Cromarty, as well as Inverness-shire in particular.
The map shows Sutherland could see up to 21cm of snow fall, while areas in Aberdeeenshire could receive up to 14cm of snow per day.
Elsewhere, the map shows up to 3.9 inches (10 cm) of snow could fall in the area surrounding Norwich.
While WXCharts maps suggest snow could fall across the country, the Met Office is being more cautious about snowstorm forecasts.
The Met Office’s long-term forecast for the days between January 8 and 22 is as follows: “Although confidence remains low, high pressure is likely to be initially close to the UK, interspersed with periods of relatively calm weather with more variable conditions. “Temperatures are likely to be close to or slightly below average during this time.
“A transition to more widely variable or unstable conditions is possible later in the period, with a transition to near or slightly warmer average temperatures possible.”
The Met Office had previously said snow forecasts in the UK were particularly complex due to rapidly changing conditions. “Small changes in temperature or wind direction can mean the difference between rain, sleet or snow. Meteorologists use high-resolution models to predict the type of precipitation, but these models can struggle with marginal situations where temperatures are around freezing,” the website states.
“Forecasters also consider factors such as rainfall intensity. Bursts of heavy rainfall can cool the air near the surface, increasing the likelihood of snow. Conversely, lighter rainfall can melt before it reaches the ground. This delicate balance makes snow forecasts one of the most uncertain aspects of UK weather forecasting.”
