New weather maps indicate that Britain could face a bitter cold snap within days, with temperatures potentially dropping to -7C and a vast band of snow sweeping across the country. The latest ECMWF weather model points to a sharp temperature drop by Thursday, November 12, with icy conditions predicted across large swathes of Scotland and spreading south into England and Wales.
Scotland to see harshest conditions
WXCharts maps, using ECMWF data, indicate the mercury could nosedive to around -7C in parts of Scotland at 6am. Temperatures ranging between -2C and -5C are displayed across other regions, while freezing or near-freezing conditions may reach much further south.
Scotland appears set for some of the harshest conditions, with cold air predicted to push into northern England. A separate ECMWF winter overview map for the same period shows snow potentially blanketing hundreds of miles down Britain's eastern flank.
Snow band to sweep south
The chart suggests wintry weather across parts of Scotland before a band of snow sweeps south through northern and eastern England. However, as the forecast remains more than a week out, the exact location and severity of any snowfall could shift considerably as the date draws nearer.
The freezing conditions are anticipated to be most extensive north of the border, with Highland, Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Angus among the regions shown below zero. Argyll and Bute, Stirling, Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders could see the mercury plunge well below freezing.
Regions bracing for freezing temperatures
Further south, Cumbria, Northumberland, County Durham, Lancashire and North Yorkshire are amongst the regions where temperatures could nosedive to around 0C or lower. The bitter chill looks set to extend into parts of Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire as it sweeps further southward. In Wales, areas of Gwynedd and Powys could also find themselves gripped by near-freezing conditions.
The wintry snap could deliver a dramatic shift in weather, with overnight frost a real possibility across swathes of the country. Conditions are expected to differ considerably, though, with southern England staying noticeably warmer on the same chart.
Areas bracing for freezing temperatures on November 12 include Scotland's Highland, Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Stirling, South Lanarkshire, East Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway; England's Cumbria, Northumberland, County Durham, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire; and Wales's Gwynedd and Powys.
