UK faces snow 'blitz' spanning 475 miles with nowhere in England spared

A UK snow alert has been issued - as maps turn purple with a 475-mile Arctic blast set to smother the country. As we head towards mid November and December and eventually Christmas, snowfall is set to hammer the country in an Arctic blitz as temperatures plunge.

Maps and charts from WX Charts show that snow will hit Scotland later this week before spreading south on Sunday evening. Then, between 10cm and 15cm of snow could fall reach southern England by Wednesday, according to the maps.

Charts also show depths of up to 20cm forecast for northern Scottish regions like Inverness. In England, places in the North West won't be spared, with Greater Manchester facing as much as 3cm as we begin the new working week next week.

READ MORE Exact date UK hammered by -9C 'snow bomb' which will last 'five days'

Hampshire and the south coast could experience 5cm. On its website, the Met Office has a forecast issued from late November into early December, which is the final month of the year, lasting until December 12 and beginning from November 28.

It states: "Signals vary in prevailing weather patterns through this period but likely mainly unsettled and rather cold for the start of the period. There is a chance of more mobile weather patterns which would see Atlantic systems periodically move across the country. These will bring some wetter and windier interludes with a risk of some snow, especially for hills of the north."

The Met Office forecast continues, explaining to UK towns and cities: "A trend toward less mobile weather or more settled conditions is favoured into December, although some wetter and windier interludes remain likely at times."

The Met Office forecast signs off by saying: "Temperatures also trending closer to average, especially in the south." The BBC Weather team adds: "High pressure will mostly dominate weather conditions for the rest of this week.

"That will mean drier, calmer but often cloudy conditions. Temperatures should return to at least slightly above average for the time of year, with some smaller ups and downs. Over the weekend and early next week, unsettled and increasingly windy conditions become more likely.

"Temperatures should drop well below average, with wintry conditions possible."