Exact date huge Arctic blast set to batter Brits from two different directions

04 January 2024 , 17:43

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Exact date huge Arctic blast set to batter Brits from two different directions

Arctic conditions will batter the UK from two directions as a new cold snap bites, according to new weather forecasts.

Temperatures are expected to plummet over the next few days, beginning a cold spell that looks set to stick around for much of January.

The Met Office warned on social media that Brits will "need that winter coat" as the weekend approaches, with highs of only 4C across many areas during the day and freezing temperatures overnight.

Arctic weather is coming to the UK, according to new weather maps (Getty Images)

Weather maps from WXCharts meanwhile show a wintry weather front moving in from the northwest on Sunday January 14, bringing as much as 6cm of snow per hour to central and northern areas of England and Wales.

Weather map for 6am on Tuesday January 16

This will be followed the same week by heavy snow sweeping over the English Channel from Tuesday until Thursday, which is expected to cover most of the south. Isolated snow showers are also forecast across the north of Scotland during this period.

Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts

The Met Office has also said that there is a "greater than normal" risk of severe cold weather from the middle to the end of the month. The long-range forecast from January 19 to February 2 reads: "Compared to normal, there is an increased chance of colder than average conditions during this period. Currently the chance of widespread severe cold is still deemed low, but still the risk of impacts from cold, including ice and snow is greater than normal. It is likely to be drier than recent weeks, but what does fall is more likely to be of a wintry nature.

Weather for Thursday January 18

"While there is a chance of brief, unsettled spells, which would bring milder air for a time, it would likely also be accompanied by a period of sleet or snow. However, when, or even if, this would happen is very uncertain, and overall the main theme will be much more in the way of settled conditions through this period."

Though damage to property and even loss of life has occurred in recent storms, Britain has so far largely escaped the chilly weather gripping other parts of Europe this winter. The same cannot be said for the Swedish Lapland, which recorded a second day below -40C on Wednesday. It's the coldest temperature registered in the Scandinavian country since 1999, and forecasters believe the cold snap will continue for the rest of the week.

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas