Britain is bracing for an icy rush, with foretellers advising of a brutal 192-hour deep snap sweeping across the country.
The rearmost UK rainfall maps paint a bleak picture, vast stretches of the nation are anticipated to face sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfall as a blast of Arctic air tightens its grip.
At first glance, the weekend seems deceptively calm. The southern corridor of England, including London, is set to enjoy fairly mild November conditions, with temperatures ranging from 15°C.
Patches of rain will drift eastwards before giving way to occasional sun. But that tranquillity won’t last long.
Arctic Blast Set to Hit from Mid-November
By mid-November, a sharp turn in the weather is expected. WXCharts.com has issued new projections signalling a major plunge in temperatures starting Saturday, 15 November.
Northern England, Scotland, and parts of the Midlands could be the first to witness snow, with the Scottish Highlands dipping to around -2°C.
Come Sunday, 16 November, the chill will tighten its hold. Wales and the northwest of England are likely to see fresh snow showers, with deep-purple weather maps suggesting snow cover across Scotland.
Temperatures could sink to –3°C in the north and hover near freezing across Wales.
As the week unfolds, the cold intensifies. By Monday, 17 November, snow will probably stretch from Scotland down to Cumbria and Snowdonia, while the mercury nosedives to an icy -5°C or indeed -6°C.
Snow Blankets the UK as Temperatures Plummet
The bitter conditions are prognosticated to persist through the week. Tuesday, 18 November, could see Ireland,mid-Wales, and Scotland remain forcefully below freezing, with wide frost and deep snow mounding in the mounds.
Even by Wednesday, 19 November, the temperature looks set to stay at a bone-chilling -5°C.
Moving into Thursday, 20 November, conditions north of the border are forecast to remain harsh, around –3°C, as new snow flurries drift over Wales.
The freeze will continue to grip Scotland into Friday, 21 November, before plummeting once more by Saturday, 22 November, when thermometers could drop back to –5°C.
That’s eight consecutive days — a staggering 192 hours of Arctic weather blanketing Britain in frost and snow.
Met Office Hints at Colder, Drier Spell
The Met Office’s long-range forecast for Tuesday, 11 November to Thursday, 20 November, suggests that the mild spell will soon give way to harsher conditions.
The official forecast notes: “The start of this period is likely to be largely unsettled and mostly mild, with bands or areas of rain moving across most parts of the UK, although tending to be focused more on western and possibly southern parts.
Locally strong winds may also accompany the rain at times. Some drier spells are also likely, the best of these probably towards the east and possibly the north.
Where skies are clear and winds are light overnight, frost and fog are likely, and the fog is slow to clear.
From around the middle of the month, we may see a transition towards more generally drier weather across the UK, and with this it is likely to turn a little cooler overall, with a greater risk of overnight frost.”
In other words, winter is coming, and it’s arriving early. Meteorologists are urging people to prepare for icy roads, travel disruptions, and possible snowfall in areas unaccustomed to such early winter chills.
The UK weather pattern suggests this could be one of the first major cold snaps of the season, setting the stage for a potentially harsh winter ahead.
Brace yourselves. The countdown to Britain’s Arctic freeze has already begun.
