Britain could be bracing for a late-season blast of snow in a matter of days. Fresh weather maps suggest wintry conditions are poised to sweep in from May 3, with flakes first falling around midday before spreading across as many as 17 counties by the night of May 7.
The latest charts from WXCharts, based on MetDesk data, paint a chilly picture – with parts of Scotland firmly in the firing line. By midnight on May 4, the flurries are expected to intensify, with the Highlands and Argyll and Bute facing thicker, more persistent bursts of snow. Temperatures are also set to take a sharp dive, with forecasts indicating lows of -3C as the cold snap tightens its grip.
Maps generated on April 25 show the mercury tumbling as freezing conditions linger. While the Met Office's long-range outlook for April 29 to May 8 makes no mention of snow, it does warn that conditions could turn increasingly unsettled, with showers and longer spells of rain likely to dominate at times.
The Met Office previously told how the UK's snow forecasts are more complex than in continental Europe due to rapidly-changing conditions. 'Small variations in temperature or wind direction can mean the difference between rain, sleet or snow,' its website said. 'Meteorologists use high-resolution models to predict precipitation type, but these models can struggle with marginal situations where temperatures hover around freezing.'
