UK weather forecast: Met Office issues snow warning as temperatures to plunge below zero

The UK should brace for sub-zero temperatures and snow in the coming days as the weather turns colder, forecasters warn.

The Met Office has said bitterly cold conditions will sweep across the country this weekend and into next week, with temperatures expected to plummet to as low as -5C in some parts.

Forecasters say a change in the jet stream is one of the driving forces by the shift in temperatures, although the weather won’t be as cold as the start of the winter when the mercury dropped to record lows of -17C in December.

The colder weather is expected to bring snow to some parts of the UK from Sunday (15 January), including Scotland, northern England, the Midlands, Wales and Northern Ireland, with flakes then falling further south from the beginning of next week.

The snowfall will be accompanied by a sharp drop in temperatures, with Scotland the mercury forecast to plummet below zero by Monday, reaching nighttime lows of -5C in Glasgow.

Northern England could see sub-zero temperatures by Tuesday, with lows of -1C forecast for Leeds, while the south will also be chilly with temperatures around 1C to 2C.

Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: “Next week, the jet stream is a bit more amplified and it’s coming at the UK from the northwest rather than from the west like recent days.

“This subtle change into the start of next week will see colder weather coming in and rather than prolonged bouts of rain from the west, we’re likely to see rain and showers coming from the northwest.

“These showers from the north could fall as snow over the high parts of Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland later in the weekend, and as we move through next week often below average temperatures could support a mixture of rain, hail sleet and snow. Most of any snow accumulation is likely over higher parts of the northern UK.

“On Tuesday next week, the greatest risk of snow will be across northern parts of the UK, perhaps central areas and mostly over the hills.”

Heavy rain to giveaway to snow

In its long-range forecast, the Met Office said heavy downpours will drench much of the UK on Saturday and conditions will be windy for coastal areas.

A yellow weather warning for rain and wind is in place in Northern Ireland from 2pm on Saturday until 3am on Sunday, with people being warned to expect travel disruption, possible power cuts and risk of flooding.

Conditions will become colder across the UK from Sunday, with showers increasingly falling as snow, particularly across northern parts of the country, even to lower ground.

Heading into next week, wintry showers are expected in many central and northern areas, with rain, sleet and snow affecting southern Britain. Temperatures will become colder further into the week, bringing overnight frost, wintry showers and ice.