Snow forecast maps show 514-mile wall hitting UK as far south as Devon and Cornwall | Weather | News
Some areas could experience as much as 3.9 inches of snow per hour (Image: Getty)
Snow could soon return to large parts of the UK, according to new weather maps, raising the possibility of a new spell of winter before the end of January. The start of the year brought snow and icy conditions across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; With widespread snowfall, numerous yellow and amber weather warnings issued by the Met Office and hundreds of schools being forced to close.
The runways at both Birmingham Airport and East Midlands Airport were closed overnight on January 8 due to heavy snowfall brought by Storm Goretti, leading to flight delays and cancellations. Now, new data from forecaster WXCharts suggests snow could return once again.
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WX Charts predicts snow in Northern Ireland, Wales and South West England (Image: WX Charts)
WXCharts’ new snowfall maps show a wide band of snow outlined in purple for around 524 miles across the UK at 6pm on Tuesday 27 January. The forecast shows snow developing in Northern Ireland before spreading to Wales and large parts of England.
Snowfall may begin near Strabane in western Northern Ireland, then move across large parts of Wales and England, reaching as far south as Cornwall, including Southampton, Bournemouth, Devon and Exeter. The snow band also covers key areas such as Bristol, Bath and Swansea.
The WXCharts map shows that some places could see snowfall rates of up to 3.9 inches per hour, particularly in coastal areas such as Portsmouth, Belfast and parts of east Wales.
But the Met Office offers a more cautious view. Its long-term forecast for the period from 23 January to 1 February is: “During this period the UK will see a battle between Atlantic weather systems trying to push in from the west and high pressure and colder, drier conditions trying to exert some influence from the east.
“Initially, milder Atlantic weather with showers or longer rains is expected to prevail in most areas.
“Temperatures are likely to be around or slightly above average, but are likely to be colder in the far northeast with some sleet or snow, increasing the chances of conditions becoming colder and drier.
“This aspect of the forecast is still uncertain, but the possibility of a shift to colder weather also increases the likelihood of snow in some parts of the country.”
The UK has had a cold start to the year, with heavy snowfall causing disruption and forcing the closure of hundreds of schools earlier this month.
The country also experienced the coldest January night in 15 years. Temperatures at Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands fell to -18.9C overnight on 9 January, the lowest overnight temperature in January since 2010.
According to the Met Office, the coldest January temperature ever recorded in the UK was -27.2C, measured in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, on 10 January 1982.
