UK weather: Snow and gales to batter Britain as temperatures set to plunge to zero

Parts of country to feel ‘rather cool or even cold’ in coming days

Snow and potentially “disruptive” winds are forecast to hit the UK this month, after the Met Office said Atlantic weather systems could bring stormy conditions to parts of the country.

From early next week winds will strengthen and temperatures will fall, with overnight frosts forecast.

Rain will turn into wintry showers with a chance of snow arriving from the west, the Met Office said, and temperatures could drop to 0C.

“Winds will likely strengthen through midweek with an increasing likelihood of coastal gales,” the Met Office said in its long term forecast for the period 7-16 March, adding that it would feel “rather cool or even cold across much of the UK” before temperatures “begin to recover to nearer normal” towards the middle of the month.

However another period of “unsettled weather developing with Atlantic weather systems” is expected to move across the UK in the second half of March, bringing wet and windy weather.

Heavy snow in York in Yorkshire during Storm Eunice (PA)

“At times, winds could be disruptive, although snow is likely to become shorter-lived through the second half of the month,” the Met Office said.

“Towards the end of the month a north-south split may develop with high pressure across the south with more changeable conditions likely in the north.”

However the short term forecast is much more settled.

Thursday will be largely cloudy, with outbreaks of rain in western areas which will, slowly move east. There will be sunny spells in eastern and southeastern parts of the UK and it will feel mild.

There will be showers and rain across swathes of the country on Friday [graphic shows 6am Friday 4 March] (Met Office)

On Friday, the cloud cover will remain with rain for many eastern areas, and sunny spells and isolated showers in the west.

The weekend will see further rain across central and eastern areas, but it will be dry elsewhere with some sunshine.

Drier conditions will take hold more widely on Sunday and Monday, but it will be colder than recent days with overnight frost in some places, the Met Office said.

Poppy has fun in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, after Storm Eunice brought heavy snowfall to parts of Scotland (PA Wire)

After a turbulent few weeks that saw several named storms batter the British isles, there are no weather warnings in place for the next seven days.

But residents had to be rescued from their homes last week after heavy rain from three storms – Dudley, Eunice and Franklin – led to flooding along the River Severn.

Storm Eunice, which hit the UK on 18 February, left many people facing severe travel disruption with treacherous driving conditions after parts of the country were blanketed in snow.

Over 5cm fell on lower ground and more than 20cm was forecast for higher ground. Scottish Mountain Rescue had warned of “dangerous conditions” including the possibility of avalanches on higher ground.