Easter weather UK: Met Office warns of freezing rain ahead of bank holiday - when will snow & rain arrive?

It's looking like a damp and rainy run-up to the Easter bank holiday this week, with snow and rain forecast. The Met Office has predicted a drop in temperature from Monday, March 25, which will see a break in the milder Spring weather ahead of the bank holiday weekend.

The meteorological service added in an update that snow could fall in eastern parts of Scotland on Monday and Tuesday, with rain likely to fall across the country. The latest update said: "Unsettled conditions are the main theme of the forecast through much of the week, with low pressure exerting its influence, bringing periods of rain from the west, some of which could be heavy in nature.

"On Tuesday, further rain will move gradually from the south and southwest further north and east, bringing rain for much of the UK at times. Some areas could see 10-20mm of rain as this rain moves northwards, with the possibility of higher totals over high ground. Central areas of England, as well as north Wales and Northern Ireland could see the most persistent rain through the day. Hill snow is also likely Monday night and into Tuesday for parts of Scotland, though this isn’t unusual for the area at this time of year."

After a weekend that saw temperatures of between 10°C and 14°C across the UK, Monday saw a dip to single-digits, with temperatures dropping to lows of 1°C overnight in the Scottish Highlands. There was also a warning of increase winds throughout the week, making the temperature feel even colder.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Mark Sidaway said: “It’s another very unsettled week for much of the UK, with heavy, blustery showers, longer spells of rain and also some strong winds.” In terms of hazards in the current forecast, we’re continuing to keep an eye on some of the expected rainfall totals as they build up through the week, with some places in the south still quite sensitive to rainfall amounts due to the wet winter many have experienced. We will also need to monitor the winds with the potential for gales to develop around some coastal areas of the north at first, then later some southwestern areas, especially as these may coincide with some high tides.”

This cooler temperature could run the risk of so-called 'freezing rain' falling on parts of the country. According to the Met Office, 'freezing rain' is when precipitation "start its life as snow, ice, sleet or hail, but passes through a layer of air that's above 0°C on the way down to the ground, melting into a liquid water droplet". As a result, when a freezing rain droplet hits the ground, it can spread out an instantly freeze on impact if the surface is below 0°C.

However, in better news, the Met Office has predict slightly better conditions for the Easter weekend. While a detailed forecast is still to be finalised, Mr Sidaway said that there was optimism for clearer weather, stating: “Showers will continue into the weekend, especially for southern and western areas. However, it is likely that we will see something of an improvement for most areas, with the showers tending to be less frequent, and a better chance of longer spells of sunshine for eastern and northern areas in particular. It will also become less windy, and temperatures should start to trend upwards, feeling quite warm in any sunshine.”