A new Beast from the East may hit the UK, bringing sub-zero temperatures and significant snowfall, according to weather maps from WXCHARTS. This morning, temperatures dropped to -9C in Scotland and northeast England, with the deep freeze expected to continue into the evening across the UK.
Forecasts show lows of -2C in Central Scotland on Friday evening and near-freezing conditions in northeast England. By early Sunday, widespread lows of -4C are expected across Scotland. Minimum temperatures will hover just above freezing in the following days before another cold snap next Wednesday, when much of the country could struggle to reach 0C.
The worst is forecast for January 14, with temperatures potentially plunging to -8C in large parts of Scotland, while the rest of the UK wakes to freezing conditions. Snowfall of up to 13cm is predicted in central and eastern Scotland, with further snow expected later in the week, including up to 10cm in northeast Scotland. A massive 23cm of snow could fall in central Scotland by early next Monday.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys said temperatures in Scotland could be 2-4C below normal over the next two weeks, with overnight lows of -6C to -7C in higher elevations. Brian Gaze from The Weather Outlook described the early January weather as unsettled, with wet and windy conditions and gusts up to 60mph in western coastal areas.
Exacta Weather forecaster James Madden noted a Sudden Stratospheric Warming event is increasingly likely, which could channel Arctic air to the UK around mid-January. Jim Dale from British Weather Services said a big freeze is “not something that I will rule out,” though he currently favours a more mobile Atlantic pattern.
