UK weather Easter weekend forecast: Maps show 400-mile wall of rain to hit before snowfall | Weather | News
The UK is bracing for a cold Easter weekend as unstable conditions spread across the country, bringing rain and snow. Rain will first fall late Saturday, April 4, followed by snow on Easter day, according to new maps WXCHARTS created on March 31 using MetDesk data.
New maps suggest rain will come in from the Atlantic on Saturday, April 4, affecting coastal parts of England and soaking the country. Graphs show it could reach up to 4mm/hour in parts of southern Scotland, the worst-hit part of the country, by 9pm.
The following day, weather maps predicted the rain would move eastwards, flooding large swaths of the UK from Edinburgh in Scotland to Dorset in South West England – a massive distance of 640 kilometres.
In parts of the Scottish Highlands, speeds of more than 1mm/hour can occur at midday, while in Manchester and Cumbria this speed can be up to 0.5mm/hour.
Separately, the Met Office’s forecast for Thursday to Sunday reads: “The rain clears to the south-east on Thursday then mostly fine.
“Then rain will increase further in the north-west. Unstable on Good Friday and Saturday. Wet and windy weather prevails in the UK.”
The Easter forecast adds: “Unstable conditions are increasingly likely to affect England over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, with the potential for strong winds and heavy rain at times.
“The wettest and windiest weather is more likely towards the west and north of the country.”
The Met Office previously said snow forecasts in the UK were more complex than in continental Europe 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.”
