UK weather: How long will the snow last?
After days of freezing temperatures, people across the country awoke to snow and ice on Monday, December 12.
Many were brought to a standstill by icy conditions on the roads – while schools in some parts of England and Wales were forced to close for the day, ushering in a rare snow day for youngsters.
Though often nice to look at, when you’ve got places to be (or places to drive to), snow (and ice) can often get in the way – leaving you wondering when oh when might it finally melt.
So when is it due to be gone? Here is what we’ve gleaned from the latest weather forecasts.
How long will the snow last in London?
Snow in the capital London is expected to last for another day, judging by the Met Office’s forecast.
Yellow weather warnings for London remain in place for today (December 12) until Tuesday, December 13.
The warning says: ‘Lying snow and icy patches will lead to difficult travel conditions during Monday and into Tuesday.’
By Wednesday, December 14, London is forecast to be a similar temperature (hovering from -2°C to 2°C), while it’ll still be cold but possibly a touch brighter on Thursday, December 15.
However, we can’t see any more snowfall predicted at the time of writing.
By the weekend of Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18, the Met Office forecasts temperatures managing to climb up a bit to a warmer 6°C to 8°C.
How long will the snow last in the rest of the UK?
While London is set to become less chilly as the weekend approaches, what’s the deal for the rest of us?
Swathes of the UK saw major snowfall on December 12 – with school closures in Essex, Gloucestershire, Devon, Cornwall, East Sussex, Hertfordshire and parts of Wales, among other areas.
And for most of the country, a wintry chill can be expected throughout the week.
Matthew Lehnert, the Met Office’s Chief Meteorologist, said: ‘The cold conditions will remain in situ during this week.
‘In many places daytime temperatures will struggle to get above freezing, while overnight temperatures have the potential to drop below -10°C in rural parts of Scotland.’
In particular, there are currently yellow weather warnings in place for much of Northern Ireland and South East England until Tuesday, December 13, warning of patches of ice and lying snow causing disruption.
For Scotland and North East England, a yellow weather warning lasting from Tuesday, December 13 until Thursday, December 15 advises there might be snow showers and ‘icy surfaces’ to contend with.
A Level 3 Cold Weather Alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for all of England also remains in place until the morning of Friday, December 16.
Heading into the weekend, however, forecasts for Edinburgh, Manchester, Belfast, and Cardiff don’t seem to predict more flurries of snow.
Temperatures are expected to creep up slightly by Sunday, up to 4°C, 7°C (for both Manchester and Belfast) and 10°C respectively – with the latter three cities expecting light rain showers on this day.
Lehnert added on the Met Office website: ‘By the end of the weekend there is a signal that we may see a shift in type away from the Arctic-dominated conditions with milder and wetter weather coming in from the Atlantic.
‘This transition could bring the risk of significant, but highly transient, snowfall before quickly turning to rain.’
That said, while Yellow Weather Warnings aren’t in place from Friday, December 16, more ‘could well be’ on the cards, the Met Office noted on Monday morning.
Of course, weather forecasts often change, so do check what’s happening with the weather forecast in your local area.
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