A huge snowstorm is set to paint the UK white this week (Image: WXCharts)
A snowstorm will move across the south coast over to France at around 9am on Friday (Image: WXCharts)
A strong dose of kicking off the year is set to continue today and spread across the country, with major cities in northern and southern regions among those hit.
Weather warnings for and ice are in force across the south west, north west, West Midlands and Wales, forcing some schools to stay shut rather than reopen after the Christmas holidays.
And the remainder of January will offer no respite from the cold and icy weather – with a snowstorm stretching from north west Ireland all the way over the English Channel to France and Belgium, according to from WXCharts.
The curtain of snow will descend across the coastline and into mainland France on Friday morning, January 10, hammering down snowfall at 3cm each hour in Wales, London and the Paris area.
By 9am on Friday, most of Scotland, Ireland and northern regions will already be covered in snow, with depths of up to 21cm in the Highlands and between 5cm and 11cm around Manchester, Newcastle and Leeds.
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Temperatures will drop across the country on Friday (Image: WXCharts)
By Friday night, some regions could record lows of -9C (Image: WXCharts)
As snow continues to settle across the UK throughout the day, with all of Scotland turning purple as the wintry spell sets in, an icy barrage will continue to batter the stretch from Galway in Ireland across the channel, with Ireland’s east coast experiencing snowfall at up to 13cm every hour.
By Friday evening, most of the UK is painted purple in WXCharts’ weather maps, with parts of the Midlands and Wales seeing the highest concentrations of settled snow. Temperatures are also expected to drop below freezing in the north, with lows of -9C in Scotland and -1C in southern England.
The has warned of a sustained cold snap across the country this week following the coldest night of the winter so far, with temperatures dropping to -13C in Scotland on Sunday.
The forecaster has warned that milder temperatures enjoyed in the south over the weekend won’t last, with a “cold northwesterly flow” sweeping across regions and bringing low overnight temperatures, night frost and a mercury drop during the day.
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Snow depths in Scotland could reach 19cm by 12pm on Friday (Image: WXCharts)
Mike Silverstone, Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the , also said that a “spell of rain, sleet and snow” could move across the south west on Wednesday, January 8, with a yellow weather warning in place between 9am and midnight in 26 areas.
He said: “Whilst not all those in the warning area may be affected, it is possible that 2-5cm of snow may accumulate fairly widely.
“Whether this system will brush the south of the UK or miss us altogether remains a little uncertain, but we’ll continue to assess this over the next day or two.”
198 flood warnings have also been issued across the UK by the Environment Agency, as well as 300 flood alerts.
Sarah Cook, Flood Duty Manager at the EA said: “Heavy rain and melting snow mean significant river flooding is possible in the Midlands, with minor impacts probable more widely across other parts of England, on Monday and into Tuesday.”
“Environment Agency teams continue to be out on the ground, operating flood defences, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding, issuing flood warnings and supporting those communities affected.”
The Met Office’s five day forecast:
Today:
Wintry showers across the UK, staying cold and icy throughout the day with some sleet and snow in the north and west. Some sunny spells and cool winds.
Tonight:
Icy showers continuing in northern areas overnight. Other regions dry with clear skies and cool temperatures. Widespread frost expected.
Wednesday:
Cold and sunny temperatures across the board, with southern England expected to usher in some rain, sleet and snow throughout the day. Some icy showers also forecast for Scotland.
Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:
Sunshine, rain showers and cold temperatures across the UK. Drier with some sunshine on Saturday, with cloudier weather and some rain and snow in the west. Frosty and chilly nights.