Weather maps have pinpointed the exact date snow is expected to return to the UK, as temperatures are set to plunge after a mild weekend. The mercury reached 11.6C in Hampshire on Sunday, but conditions will turn wintry by the end of the week.
Snow is forecast as far south as Essex on Sunday morning, with the heaviest falls across Suffolk. The white hue on the map also indicates snow in County Durham and the Scottish Highlands. By Sunday afternoon, the snow is expected to turn to rain, heaviest across Fife in Scotland.
Met Office deputy chief forecaster Steven Keates said: "While it does look increasingly likely that conditions will turn more widely colder into next week, the timing and extent of this colder air remains uncertain." He noted variations between weather models, with the majority indicating below-average temperatures from the east but nothing too extreme.
Netweather meteorologist Nick Finnis described the change as "a battleground" between a high pressure system from Siberia and lows from the west. He said cold air may flood across all areas on Monday, potentially bringing snow, but uncertainty remains.
The cold snap could last several weeks, with temperatures feeling as low as -5C on Sunday. Snow is expected to return again on Tuesday or Wednesday next week during the cold spell, according to Metdesk meteorologists.
