A cold snap is set to hit the UK this week. Temperatures are set to plummet to freezing or below in parts, potentially the coldest it has been this year, with snow forecast for later in the week.
A yellow warning for snow and ice comes into force on Thursday until Friday night. The North West is also among the areas hit by a level three alert by the UK Health Security Agency, meaning there is considered to be a 90 percent chance of severely cold weather, icy conditions or heavy snow that could impact the most vulnerable.
Forecasters say 'although we’ve moved into meteorological spring there will be a distinctly wintry feel to our weather' this week.
READ MORE: Met Office weather map shows snow sweeping across region later this week
Here we take a look at the Met Office forecast for Greater Manchester for the next seven days
Tuesday
It is expected to remain dry and bright at times, if cold, on Tuesday. Temperatures will likely drop from around four to five degrees Celsius in the early hours to around 1C by 8am as the cold arctic air moves in. It will warm slightly during the day with some sunny intervals expected in between cloudy spells.
However, it will only reach as high as 5C in the mid-afternoon. It is set to be a clear, if cold, night.
Wednesday
There will be a sharp frost overnight with temperatures set to drop to freezing late on Tuesday and to minus 1C from the early hours up to around 6am, meaning it will be a freezing and frosty start to Wednesday where forecasters warn it could feel as cold as minus 4C.
However, as on Tuesday, the cloud will be burst by some sunny intervals by the late morning with temperatures rising to around 4C by midday and 5C by 3pm. It is likely to be a cloud end to the day
Thursday
Thursday is the day snow is most likely to hit Greater Manchester. It will be an overcast and frosty night with temperatures hitting freezing in the early hours. And a yellow warning for snow and ice covering the region comes into force at 3am, lasting until 6pm on Friday.
Forecasters say there is the possibility of disruption to public transport across the two days. Snow showers could arrive in some areas, for example, Bolton and Oldham, from around 9am.
However, it is expected slightly later, around midday, in others including in the city centre. Local forecasters think these showers could turn to rain later as the air becomes milder but with snow remaining in higher areas.
Heavy rain downpours are forecast in some boroughs, for example, Bury, late on Thursday afternoon. There may be some respite on Thursday evening with some dry and cloudy spells however the showers are expected to continue into Friday morning.
Friday
Showers are forecast throughout the early hours of Friday. At around 4C temperatures are likely to be several degrees higher than previous nights earlier in the week.
The milder air means the showers, which are expected intermittently throughout Friday could fall as rain in many areas but could also be wintry and fall as snow in others. particularly on higher ground.
It is expected to dry up around 6pm on Friday, when the yellow weather warning expires, but it will be cloudy and overcast. Temperatures are likely to hover around 3C in the evening and into the early hours of Saturday.
Saturday
It is expected to be mainly dry, if cloudy, on Saturday. However, some showers will likely move in and there is the chance of some light rain at from 9pm to midnight in the early hours of Sunday.
It will feel slightly milder than early in the week with temperatures peaking around 7C and hovering at around 6C for most of the afternoon and evening.
Sunday
After some showers in the early hours clear it will be largely dry if overcast start to Sunday. Temperatures will hit double figures for the first time in several days with it expected to reach 11C by midday. There will be a slight drop into the evening when some heavy rain downpours are expected.
Monday
The Met Office say currently 'confidence in the details are low' regarding the forecast from Sunday onwards but that across the country 'into next week, milder conditions are expected to spread north-eastwards, bringing rain and stronger winds, as well as some snow along the leading edges.'
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