31 January 2024 , 19:13
566
0
Brits have been warned to prepare for an Arctic blast as huge swathes of the country are set to be battered by blizzards in just days.
"Increasingly wintry" conditions are looming despite the UK having experienced a record warm January. The Met Office has warned of temperatures plunging to minus eight degrees, with weather maps suggesting the freezing conditions will reach the country by February 14. But people in Scotland are to see up to 2cm of snow falling each hour in towns like Edinburgh.
Within a couple of days, temperatures could drop to minus five degrees in Abergavenny, Wales. In London, lows could hit -6 degrees and Manchester will plummet to -8 degrees. According to the Met Office's long-range weather forecast: "Following on from earlier in the month, either the period will start changeable with temperatures overall around average and a north-west to south-east split in conditions, or colder conditions will have become established, mainly across the North."
The weather experts at the Met Office added: "Through mid-February there is an increasing likelihood of more settled conditions, with winds arriving from the north. This would increase the chance of some colder spells, with a greater likelihood of wintry conditions at times, particularly in the North and East."
Temperatures will plunge to minus eight degrees in some areas (WX CHARTS)BBC weather forecasters also warned of "high pressure building more to the west or North of the UK", in turn inducing winds to come from colder directions." Radar data collected by WX Charts shows looming snow and fierce winds accompanied by bitterly cold temperatures. Other weather maps show that by February 13, most of the UK will be covered with snow, according to The Express.
EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness
Sharing a longer-range weather map from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on X, formerly known as Twitter, weather expert Liam Dutton said: "Early days, and subject to change, but some hints of a shift to colder than normal weather by mid-February."
Weather maps from WX Charts (WX CHARTS)This morning, the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning covering half of the country today due to strong gusts. The wind will be particularly strong in coastal areas, experts said, with weather maps predicting wind speeds of up to 65mph. The warning, which covers the North, Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland, comes into force from 9am and last until 5pm.
Forecasters say strong winds have the potential to bring travel chaos, blow down trees and even cause power cuts, as well as resulting in road disruption with potential restrictions on high-sided vehicles. A spokesperson said there was a small chance of "damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs" and that "that injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts".