UK weather to see Britain shiver in -6C as TWO ‘La Nina’ storms bring 55mph gales and snow when Big Freeze returns this week
Forecasters predict wintry showers will fall on Friday, as temperatures drop even lower than last week
SNOW is set to sweep across Britain as temperatures plummet to as low as -6C in some places because of the La Nina weather phenomenon.
Forecasters predict wintry showers will fall on Friday, as temperatures drop even lower than last week.
Met Office meteorologist Charles Powell said: "It's quite quiet as we start the week, but on Tuesday we will see a small change that will paint a picture, as slightly wet and windy weather develops across north west Scotland.
"On Wednesday there will be gales across the UK with a band of rain working its way across the west.
"By Thursday morning the rain starts to clear and opens the door for some really cold weather, especially across the northern half of the UK.
"Temperatures will struggle to get much above 5 or 6C."
By Friday, the cold is expected to be felt across most of Britain, with hail, sleet and snow all forecast.
The showers will spread across most parts of the country, with snow possible in many places even at sea level.
According to the Met Office, temperatures will plummet to -6 in Shawbury, Telford, on Friday.
It means any showers that fall are likely to turn to snow in north of Scotland, Northern Ireland and North of England. But it could reach further south and outside of rural and exposed areas.
John Hammond, founder of the digital weather service weathertrending, said: “Last week’s icy blast gave many of us a rude awakening to winter’s arrival – with snow flurries even reaching London.
“But you ain’t seen nothing yet. A longer and harder cold snap is on its way, and is set to hit by the end of this week.
“The week begins with a diversion. Mild westerly winds will waft across the UK, but by midweek we’ll be enduring a spell of wet and windy weather as an atmospheric battle breaks out high over the Atlantic, between warm tropical and icy polar air masses.
“But all the computer models agree the Arctic air will win the struggle. Bitter northerly winds will sweep across the whole country by Friday, bringing snow showers and hard frosts to many more areas than last week’s cold spell.
“Nobody is immune to snowfall and in some parts, particularly upland areas of northern Britain, there could be up to a foot of the white stuff by the weekend.
“With a block of frigid air set to squat on western Europe, by early next week some places will struggle to get above freezing by day. Severe frosts are possible overnight – and the cold is set to take root and hold for a week or more.
“We’re now keeping a close eye on the potential for further disruptive snowfall ahead of Christmas. However, at this range it’s impossible to say whether it will be white on the big day itself.
“Such cold spells are by no means unusual in December, but are a stark contrast to this time last year, when warm weather brought spring daffodils into bloom.”
As the low pressure system passes to the north of Scotland it will draw down cold air and by Friday the whole of the UK is expected to be under the influence of an Arctic Maritime air mass.
Daytime temperatures will vary from just above freezing to around 6 °C, and with strong winds continuing to affect much of the country, wind chill will make it feel bitterly cold.
Strong winds and coastal gales on Thursday and Friday are also expected to lead to large waves which if they coincide with high tides down the east coast, could increase the risk of coastal flooding.
What is La Nina and how will the weather phenomenon affect the UK?
LA Nina is a phenomenon occurring in the Pacific Ocean that can impact weather around the world.
It involves stronger winds pushing warm water from the east of the ocean to the west.
This can cause changes in wind and pressure patterns, along with temperature and rainfall, as a knock-on effect is felt around the globe.
The precise effects of La Nina vary from location to location.
Two huge storms later this week will see the UK hit with a harsh winter blast as thermometers plunge as low as -6C.
A Met Office spokesperson told Sun Online: “It’s likely that we will get colder than average temperatures in December.”
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer added: "On Friday conditions will be cold enough for any showers that we do see to fall as snow across the country.
"The most frequent showers and greatest risk of snow settling, which may cause disruption, will be for areas exposed to a north to northwesterly winds.
"There is still some uncertainty regarding the precise wind direction later in the week and this will be key to determining where the largest snow accumulations will be.”
Met Office forecasters have said La Nina can have a "profound effect" on Britain's weather and that it was to blame for bitter conditions in the UK in 2010.
After a brief respite of warmer weather this weekend the UK can expect sub-zero temperatures from Wednesday onwards.
Met Office forecaster Charles Powell said: "Two separate depressions are due in the coming week.
"The first sees Wednesday and Thursday windy for all areas, with the strongest winds in the South and gale-force gusts up to 55mph.
"Wednesday is going to be the day everything changes. It's going to be windy, with everywhere seeing a dose of pretty persistent rainfall.
"That will open the floodgates for what looks to be seriously cold air - probably colder than what we saw this week - bringing gales and snow showers.
"We are almost back to square one."
La Niña is the opposite of another weather phenomenon of El Niño, which leads to higher-than-average seasonal temperatures in the UK.
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