The UK is bracing for an unseasonably late snowfall in mid-March, as an Arctic blast sweeps across the country. Forecasters predict several inches of snow, particularly in northern regions, following a sudden stratospheric warming event that could trigger a polar vortex similar to the 2018 'Beast from the East'.
Temperatures have already dropped to -7.9°C in Altnaharra, Scotland, and are expected to fall further below the seasonal average of 2-9°C. Bookmakers have shortened odds on March being the coldest on record, as the cold front arrives after a mild and dry February.
According to Ventusky weather maps, snowfall is expected on March 12, with the Pennines likely to receive up to 13cm. Other affected areas include Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, and as far south as Milton Keynes. Wales could see up to 11cm, while northern Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland are also forecast to experience snow, with temperatures struggling to rise above freezing.
The Met Office has warned of mostly cloudy skies with scattered showers, though clearer spells and frost are possible in northwest Scotland and southeast England later in the period.
