UK weather maps show snow as far south as Suffolk within hours | Weather | News
Cold weather could hit the UK within hours. New weather maps from forecaster WXCharts show the snow could start later today, possibly reaching as far south as Suffolk. According to WXCharts, snow could begin around 6pm in northern England and Scotland, including the North Pennines, Argyll and Bute regions, as well as areas such as Stoke-on-Trent in central England. By around 9pm the risk of snow appears to have reached as far south as Suffolk, but the heaviest and most persistent snowfall is concentrated in Scotland.
The heaviest snow is expected in the highlands of Scotland, including the Cairngorms National Park, Perth and Kinross, the Highlands and Moray-Strathdearn. Rain is expected across much of the UK on Friday, according to new weather maps.
Meanwhile, the Met Office paints a different picture, predicting wet and windy weather moving eastwards across the UK on Friday.
The forecaster is predicting a cold start as the fog lifts, with winds strengthening with showers in the northwest from mid-morning.
With the strengthening of the wind, more persistent rain is expected to come from the west in the afternoon and the weather will become more cloudy with possible coastal storms in the west.
The Met Office said heavy rain will move eastwards tonight, followed by lighter intervals and scattered showers.
Some of these showers could be heavy, especially in the southwest where hail and even thunder are possible. The wind is expected to continue until the evening hours.
The Met Office has previously highlighted how difficult it is to forecast snow in the UK, especially more than a few hours in advance.
Conditions can change very quickly, and small changes in temperature or wind direction can determine whether an area will see rain, sleet or snow.
Even with high-resolution computer models, it is difficult to predict the type of precipitation when temperatures hover around freezing.
Forecasters should also consider how heavy the precipitation may be.
While violent eruptions can cool the air enough to turn rain into snow, lighter or more sporadic precipitation often melts before it reaches the ground. This delicate balance makes snow forecasting one of the most uncertain aspects of UK weather forecasting.
