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UK weather: Britain braced for snow as arctic air mass moves in

Snow, hail and gales are expected after one of the warmest Aprils in years

Ben Tufft
Monday 27 April 2015 11:18 BST
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The UK is braced for bad weather after a warm April
The UK is braced for bad weather after a warm April

Britain is braced for a cold snap with snow, hail and gales as an arctic air mass moves south across the country.

Snow is set to fall across high ground in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England over the coming days.

Temperatures could plunge as low as -5C on Sunday night in Scotland, while across the rest of the country the mercury could fall to below 0C.

Following the unusually warm weather of the past few weeks the cold weather will be a shock to the system for most.

The drop in temperatures is due to an arctic maritime air mass, which is heading in from Iceland and Greenland and should lead to abnormally cold weather on Monday and Tuesday.

Snow has already settled on roads in northern Scotland and ice is expected on the roads after showers.

Drivers are reminded to stay vigilant and exercise caution for winter hazards.

The Met Office has not yet issued any specific weather warning, but is monitoring the situation.

Steven Keats, a meteorologist at the organisation, told The Independent: “From Sunday night to Tuesday there is a risk of wintry showers across northern Britain, however there will be an improving picture from Thursday, when there could be sunny spells.”

The relatively cold weather is expected to linger for the whole week and the south of England will experience heavy rain from Wednesday.

The weather comes at the tail end of one warmest Aprils of recent years.

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