A severe cold snap is set to grip the UK, with weather maps indicating that 12 counties will see snow within just over a week as temperatures plummet to as low as -5C in parts of Scotland.
According to WXCHARTS forecasts for November 17, the Scottish Highlands will experience the most extreme conditions, with the mercury dropping to -5C at midnight. The rest of Scotland is expected to hover between -4C and -2C, while northern England will see temperatures between -2C and 0C.
North-South Temperature Divide
A clear north-south divide is forecast, with central and southern England along with Wales experiencing milder conditions, with temperatures ranging between 4C and 8C. Southern and western parts of England could see temperatures reach between 13C and 14C.
The icy chill is expected to persist into the morning, with swathes of the Scottish Highlands forecast to remain as cold as -5C. Central Scotland will be a degree cooler, while the south of the country will be around -1C.
Snow and Rain Forecast Details
Snow depths are forecast to reach 5cm in the Highlands and parts of Inverness-shire, while Edinburghshire and surrounding areas could see up to 1mm of snow fall per hour. Much of Wales, Yorkshire and the Humber, and south-west England will be blanketed in rain, with up to 3mm per hour forecast.
By midday, the snow is expected to push northwards, spreading across almost the entire Scottish Highlands. Northern England will see snow showers replaced by rain, with north-west England bearing the brunt of the wet weather with up to 3mm per hour. Heavy rain is also forecast for Devon and Cornwall.
Met Office Outlook
The Met Office's forecast for November 14-23 states: "High pressure will initially dominate, with widely settled conditions and overnight frost. Some showers are likely in northern and western Scotland though, and perhaps along some other western coasts for a time."
The forecast adds: "Later in the weekend, a transition to more unsettled conditions is expected as bands of rain, and associated areas of low pressure, arrive from the North Atlantic, bringing more widespread wet and windy weather. It is likely to remain fairly changeable through the remainder of the period, with occasional rain interspersed with brighter, showery spells. Whilst colder conditions will be possible at times, especially at first, it will often be mild, with temperatures near or a little above average for the time of year."
The 12 areas forecast to see snow are Perthshire, Aberdeenshire, Inverness-shire, Perth and Kinross, Argyll and Bute, Cumbria, Edinburghshire, Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, and two further areas covered by the maps.
