The snow and blizzards expected to hit Britain due to a phenomenon called Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) will arrive in a few weeks, the Met Office has said, as temperatures remain mild this week.
The forecaster has said that an SSW could hit Britain at the end of February, with maps and separate forecasts showing the first snowfall would arrive on 3 March and spark a 24-hour snow blitz in the North Sea.
There was speculation that the phenomenon could trigger the “worst snowfall in five years” as soon as this week, but temperatures have proved mild with the Met Office forecasting a fairly cloudy but mostly dry Tuesday for the UK with some sunny spells in the east.
Asked on Twitter if the SSW could trigger a so-called “Beast from the East” cold snap, the Met Offie tweeted: “Though it currently looks unlikely, we cannot completely rule out the risk of a more significant spell of colder weather late in the period.”
The Met Office referred to its long-term forecast up to 20 March, which states that “there is an increasing chance of some colder than average conditions developing as the month progresses, although confidence remains low”.
In the meantime a smaller bout of snow could hit higher northern areas this week but a return of colder temperatures will mostly mean rain and drizzle for northwestern hilly regions.
Early morning temperatures are expected to be around 8C in the south and 9-10C in the north and Scotland, gradually rising up to 12-14C throughout the day.
Temperatures have been slightly above average at the start of the week with a change expected in the weather as mildly colder air from the Atlantic is set to move in by the evening.
This will bring down temperatures, with Wednesday expected to be a cooler day overall with the return of snow in some northern areas, as the mercury is expected to drop down to -2C.
Overnight, cloud and blustery winds kept temperatures mild for most regions, although they dropped into low single figures in the southwest.
On Monday, the north-south divide continued, with the wettest weather across northwest Scotland, while further south, it was another mild day for the time of year.
Looking ahead, the Met Office is forecasting a gradual cooling down towards midweek with occasional rain or showers on Wednesday and Thursday and brighter interludes in between.
Daytime temperatures are expected to remain average, but some nights can turn frosty as the weather turns colder and brighter by Friday.
