UK weather: Temperatures forecast to plummet to -5C, bringing risk of ‘substantial snow’ and wintry hazards

Temperatures are set to plummet as low as -5C next week, bringing a risk of “substantial snow” and the chance of wintry hazards.

The Met Office said a northerly airflow is expected to bring much colder air on Sunday, with brisk northerly winds likely developing widely across the country and bringing a risk of snow showers.

There will be a marked wind chill and the temperature across the UK will continue to drop in the following days.

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‘Potential for some disruptive snow’

The forecaster said there is also a risk of unsettled weather pushing in from the south, which could cause a band of snow and sleet where it meets colder air across the country on Sunday.

Widespread frosts will continue overnight, with a risk of ice in some places.

“There is the potential for some disruptive snow through the middle to latter part of next week as warmer Atlantic air attempts to push in from the southwest,” said Tony Wardle, a Met Office deputy chief forecaster.

“As this occurs, some substantial snow could fall in some places, but the details of that are uncertain at the moment.”

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The Met Office also said there is an “increasing risk of something potentially disruptive at some point in this period,” but said confidence about the timing is low.

The high-pressure system is likely to remain a dominant influence on the weather between the last week of the month and the end of the first week of February.

Temperatures as low as -5C next week

The cold weather is set to continue well into next week and on Wednesday, temperatures in parts of Scotland will be as low as -5C, the Met Office has predicted.

Fort William and the surrounding area will be the coldest region, according to the current forecast, while Edinburgh also looks set to face temperatures as low as -3C.

It looks set to be -1C in Belfast, -2C in Manchester and 0C in Birmingham.

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Increased chance of cold

The Met Office said winds from the north or northeast would perhaps be more frequent than usual, with reduced amounts of rain.

It said there is an increased chance of cold temperatures compared to normal.

There is also a chance weather fronts could move in from the west or southwest which would likely bring an interlude of slightly milder and more unsettled weather for a time, while also increasing the risk of snow and ice where it meets colder air over the UK.