Britain braced for weekend freeze before US Arctic blast sparks rain chaos

Britons are being urged to wrap up warm this weekend as “snow grains” and -3C temperatures freeze the UK – before an Arctic “cold plunge” in the US sends cold wind and rain our way.

The UK has already suffered January’s lowest temperatures in 15 years leaving commuters and residents battling blankets of snow, blizzards and floods as the ice melts.

Now the has warned that next week will see more “wet and windy” weather thanks to the clash of our warmer subtropical air and “very significant cold plunge” of Arctic air in North America.

And looking even further ahead to the end of January, forecasters have warned we face a double dread of heavy snow and torrential rain – now starting to be reflected in the latest map modelling.

  maps show a storm moving across the UK on the evening of January 26 and into the early hours of January 27.

The south-west of England may see torrential rain then, with downpours of around 10mm per hour possible.

This end-of-January weather front moves north and the Lake District could see snow falling at around 10cm per hour, according to the data. Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle all appear to be in the firing line.

Before then, this weekend may also need Brits to keep their heating on to stay comfortable, as Sunday will see fog patches, low cloud and even “snow grains” and -3C (27F) morning temperatures.

On Saturday, highs of just 3C (37F) to 5C (41F) are expected for most of England and Wales, while the far South West could see 8C (47F) and Scotland 9C (48F).

But overnight into Sunday, the mercury will plunge to as low as -3C in northern England, North Wales and northern Scotland, while London and Manchester will be a milder 0C (32F).

Sunday daytime will only warm to around 2C (36F) to 6C (43F) for most of England – but the South West will see 9C (48F) along with Scotland, while Wales will get to 7C (45F).

forecaster Aiden McGivern explained: “High pressure will be strongly influential across the UK this weekend but that doesn’t always mean sunny or warm.

“Far from it, in fact with that high pressure sitting to the South East we’re actually going to draw up some chilly air across southern parts of the UK in particular and further low cloud at times as well.

“Coastal gales along with a few spots of rain perhaps – with this area of rain extending out towards the Atlantic.”

But then flagging a warning over next week’s weather, Mr McGivern explained how a “very significant cold plunge, air coming all the way from the Arctic into much of Canada and the United States bringing unusually cold weather” will affect us.

He revealed the UK will be affected “because as that cold air comes south it collides with warmer subtropical air”.

Forecasters explain that this dramatic temperature contrast will “fire up a very active jet stream” bring “spells of wet and windy weather” to Britain by midweek.

Mr McGivern went on: “That temperature contrast fires up a very active jet stream which will eventually make its way across the Atlantic and send the UK a very significant change in weather from the middle of next week.

“So much more unsettled with Atlantic lows arriving, bringing spells of wet and windy weather.”