Met Office Names Towns Across Britain Set for Snowfall This Week
Weather experts have identified numerous towns across England, Wales and Scotland that are expected to receive fresh snowfall in the coming days, following a series of Met Office alerts. The forecast comes after yellow weather warnings for snow were issued earlier this week, with further precipitation anticipated across various regions of the United Kingdom.
Weather Warnings and Forecast Patterns
The Met Office implemented yellow weather alerts for snow across England, Scotland and Wales from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. This was followed by additional yellow warnings for rain in southern England and Scotland, effective from 5am on Thursday. Although no formal snow warning is currently in place for Thursday or Friday, detailed weather maps indicate that snowfall is likely to return to many parts of the country during the early hours of Friday.
The precipitation is expected to be particularly significant on higher ground and in more rural areas. The Met Office's forecast for Thursday indicates that rain will move northwards throughout the day, potentially turning heavy in places with possible snow across north Wales, the Pennines and Scottish mountains. Winds are predicted to remain strong in northern regions, with temperatures described as average for the time of year.
Friday's Wintry Outlook and Affected Locations
For Friday, the Met Office warns that wintry hazards will continue for the northern half of the UK, with outbreaks of rain expected in southern regions. The forecast maps show snow could begin affecting some areas early on Thursday morning before spreading across much of Scotland and northern England throughout Thursday, peaking around 1am on Friday morning.
According to the meteorological data, the snowfall will gradually retreat during the early hours of Friday, becoming confined to remote areas of northern Scotland by Saturday morning. The Met Office has specifically identified numerous towns that are likely to experience snowfall on Friday, including:
- Manchester, Burnley, Skipton and Bradford in England
- Hawes, Alston, Leyburn and Middleton-in-Teasdale in northern regions
- Stanhope, Brough, Edale and Huddersfield across various counties
- Sheffield, Rochdale and Bangor in England and Wales
- Jedburgh, Edinburgh, Biggar and Kinross in Scotland
- Strathyre, Loch Rannoch, Pitlochry and Aberlour in the Scottish Highlands
- Aberdeen, Ullapool, Lairg and Craigtown in northern Scotland
- Wick and Dunbeath in the far north
Longer Range Forecast and Potential Risks
Looking further ahead to next week, beginning Monday, February 9, the Met Office indicates that cyclonic patterns are expected to dominate across the UK during mid-February. Frontal systems over the Atlantic are likely to approach the country at times, potentially becoming slow moving as they encounter a blocking area of high pressure to the northeast.
This meteorological setup is expected to result in showers or longer spells of rain spreading across the UK, with rainfall potentially heavy at times. The highest rainfall amounts will probably occur in western parts of the country, including areas already sensitive to flooding concerns.
As these bands of rain spread northwards, snow remains possible across northern England and Scotland, mainly over high ground. The forecast also indicates that strong winds could develop in places, particularly along coastal regions. Temperatures are expected to be close to normal overall, with any colder conditions more likely in northern areas of the country.
The weather service notes that while the biggest risks next week will be rain and potential flooding, snow could still return once more, especially across England and Scotland. Residents in the identified towns and surrounding areas are advised to stay updated with the latest weather forecasts and travel information as conditions develop throughout the week.
