Weather maps indicate that snow could fall in 16 UK counties this weekend as a major storm approaches, with flurries potentially falling at a rate of around 4cm per hour in the most intense areas.
The ECMWF weather model shows a large weather front making landfall on Saturday, bringing heavy rain to the south-west, Wales, northern England and Scotland at around midday. Over higher ground in Scotland, this precipitation could fall as snow, with additional snow possible in the early hours of Sunday.
Counties Affected by Snow
The counties that could see flurries over the weekend include Ross-shire and Cromartyshire, Inverness-shire, Nairnshire, Morayshire, Banffshire, Aberdeenshire, Perthshire, Kincardineshire, Angus, Stirlingshire, Dunbarton, Argyllshire, Buteshire, Ayrshire, Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire.
Met Office Warning and Forecast
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for strong winds, covering parts of Wales and southern England, where wind speeds could reach 70mph. The weather front is expected to make landfall overnight on Thursday and into Friday.
Deputy Chief forecaster Tom Crabtree said: “An area of the forecast we’re particularly focusing on is the development of a potentially deep area of low pressure that could cross the UK overnight on Thursday and through Friday. It has the potential to bring some strong winds, though the location of the strongest winds will be determined by the low position. At this stage, people should keep an eye on the forecast and be prepared for some unsettled weather at the end of the week.”
Potential Storm Naming
If the weather system meets the criteria for naming, it would be called 'Storm Austen' under the storm-naming system used by the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands. However, if the low-pressure system takes a more southerly track, meaning its impacts are greater in France and less severe in the UK, it would be called 'Storm Bruna' by France's national weather service, Météo-France.
