Weather expert warns of 'significant disruption as five-day Arctic snow blast to hit'

A 'five day blast' of snow and ice could be heading for the UK in a matter of days. Weather maps from WX Charts indicate that a blanket of snow stretching across the UK could be here as early as November 21.

Up to 50cm of snow are shown to be predicted in some parts. Jim Dale, founder and senior meteorological consultant at British Weather Services, said the Arctic conditions could last for days.

He said: "November 18 to 24, the middle part being the most prone. Northern and Midland areas still the odds on favourite especially the hills and mountains, but can’t rule out the south at this point.

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"It is heading towards some significant disruption but it will be an hour-by-hour watch as it all unfolds." Mr Dale said the snowy weather pattern will be the result of a 'straight northerly blast following the passage of a low-pressure system'.

'Winds will eventually go northeast then east', he said. The expert went on to say that Britain could be set for a 'five-day wintry blast', Express reports.

The Met Office has said the country is due to expect colder conditions in the coming days. Stephen Dixon, from the Met Office, advised caution over placing too much certainty in single map forecasts at this stage.

He said: "A single map for a week away isn’t a great indicator of the uncertainties that exist in forecasting snow at that range. Wintry hazards are possible at times next week as we have a northwesterly airflow and below average temperature for many, but subtle shifts in the conditions day-by-day can have big impacts on any potential snow forecast.

"What we can say with a degree of certainty right now is the commentary around likely snow in northern high ground from Sunday and into Monday, possibly reaching to lower levels at times in the north of Scotland. Cold weather hazards are possible next week, but much detail is still to be worked out."