Yellow warnings for snow and ice have been issued for parts of the UK at the start of next week and the UK Health Security Agency has issued a Level 2 Cold Weather Alert for the whole of England. Temperatures are set to plummet across the whole of the country as Arctic winds are pulled in.
On Friday morning, the Met Office a yellow warning for snow and ice for parts of eastern Scotland and some northern parts of England on Monday (March 6) and Tuesday (March 7).
Read more: Met Office day by day weather forecast for when it is set to snow
The warning says: "A band of rain, sleet and snow is expected to move south during Monday followed by frequent snow and hail showers. Whilst the highest accumulations of 5-10 cm are most likely over northern Scotland, there is a small chance of more organised and persistent spells of snow developing elsewhere in this area, and could bring 2 to 5 cm even at lower levels.
"Into Monday night, showers are expected to continue, and ice is likely to form on untreated surfaces where snow has melted by day."
The weather warnings for Monday and Tuesday:
Deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office , Chris Almond, said: “Although we’ve moved into meteorological Spring there will be a distinctly wintry feel to our weather next week. Very cold air will spread across the UK bringing snow showers even to sea level in the north on Monday and these snow showers could spread further south on Tuesday.
“With freezing overnight temperatures and the risk of ice it is likely weather warnings will be issued for Monday and Tuesday once the detail of potential impacts becomes clearer, so keep an eye on the Met Office forecast.”
Forecasters are saying that Wales could also see some snow on higher ground at the start of next week, with some weather maps showing snow on Tuesday and Thursday next week.
Although there is uncertainty in the forecast by the middle of next week, the Met Office says the most likely scenario is for the cold spell to persist, but there is a lower probability that milder air will approach from the south west.
A spokesman said: "There could be a spell of snow for a time before turning to rain if the milder air moves in. Whether this occurs, and how far north across the UK this milder air progresses is still uncertain and details will be determined with a shorter lead time."
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