Snow could hit the UK as temperatures tumble across the country, with forecasters hinting that wintry downpours are a real possibility. The UK is currently in the midst of a polar vortex, when powerful winds usually circle the North Pole each winter, often bringing brutal cold snaps and the chance of snowfall.
Met Office forecast
Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: "At the moment, we've got a warming taking place in the stratosphere. The polar vortex in the stratosphere is starting to weaken."
"For the UK, it does increase the chance of cold weather, normally a few weeks down the line, so sort of deeper into November is when we're more likely to see an influence if it does happen," he added.
"It's important to emphasise that there was a major warming event last November, and on that occasion it didn't directly lead to much cold weather in the UK. It doesn't always happen, it just increases the chance of it occurring."
The Met Office's long range forecast for November 21 to December 5 predicts unsettled conditions, but it says it is too early to forecast snow over the Christmas period.
BBC Weather outlook
BBC Weather says the polar vortex could lead to drier and colder conditions, with northerly or easterly winds bringing Arctic air in. As a result, this increases the chance of snow, especially in eastern areas.
As for next week, the BBC says low pressure will bring rain in the southeast, which will be followed by colder conditions in the second half of the week.
Professor Andrew Charlton-Perez, meteorologist at the University of Reading, said: "The typical response to a sudden stratospheric warming is for colder and drier conditions over Europe and the UK."
"Because we haven't seen a sudden stratospheric warming event quite like this before, it is harder to anticipate a cold spell at the moment."
Weather maps
UK weather maps from WXCHARTS show snow next arriving in the UK on November 21, with a section of white over the Scottish Highlands.
The maps also show temperatures plunging soon, with Scotland seeing lows of -4C on November 13.
