Met Office confirms snow is on the way as temperature set to plunge to -2C

The Met Office has confirmed that snow could start falling as early as this weekend. A shift to a northerly airflow will see colder Arctic air hitting northern parts of the UK, with forecasters predicting snowfall, particularly in northern England and Scotland.

This comes after WX Charts suggested up to 18 inches of snow could hit around Saturday, November 23, but now the Met Office anticipates an earlier arrival of snow in the coming days. Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Mark Sidaway explained: "In addition to increased rainfall, which could be heavy at times on Sunday, temperatures will also drop, especially for those in Scotland, as a northerly airflow develops, bringing colder Arctic air to some northern areas."

He added: "This shift does introduce the possibility of snow, initially over high ground in the north from Sunday, with gusty winds also a potential hazard. There is a lot of uncertainty by Sunday, but there remain a number of scenarios which could bring some more widespread rain, along with some hill snow and stronger winds. Warnings for winter hazards are possible later in the weekend, so it's important to stay up to date with the latest forecast."

The high pressure that has been dominating the UK weather will weaken, allowing winds from the north or northwest to take over.

Mr Sidaway has indicated a change in conditions, saying: "The high pressure that has been responsible for the mainly dry weather through much of this week will retrogress into the Atlantic as we get towards the weekend. This will gradually introduce more unsettled weather, initially in the north from Friday but more widely from Sunday," reports the Mirror.

He added that the heaviest rain on Sunday could hit the Midlands, particularly Derbyshire and Staffordshire, while northern regions may see more snow. Forecasts suggest it will be cold enough for snow into next week, with temperatures possibly dropping to -1C in North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

This follows an extremely cold beginning to the week, with temperatures falling to -2.6C in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, and -2.5C in Shap, Cumbria.