Met Office issues major snow update with 'prolonged wintry weather' possible

The Met Office maps show three snow scenarios next week - including a "prolonged" wintry blast. The Met Office says there are three possible snow scenarios for next week - and one would bring 'prolonged' snow to the UK weeks before Christmas.

In the Met Office's 10 Day Trend video, shared on social media, meteorologist Aidan McGivern explained how next week's weather will be dictated by the position of low pressure systems over the Atlantic. These systems contain "milder air and wetter conditions".

In the first scenario, these systems "stay away" - allowing "cold northerly winds" to continue which could bring "wintry showers around coasts [with] perhaps some more prolonged wintry weather coming through". He clarifiedd: "Many places [would remain] crisp and clear."

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In the second scenario these systems come closer to the UK with "spells of rain" before "bumping into" the cold northerly winds "somewhere across the UK". McGivern explained this clash would likely bring some "prolonged snow, especially over hills but perhaps not exclusively".

In the final, least likely scenario, the low pressure systems make "more progress across the UK". This would bring "more widespread wind and rain" as well as "mild air" too, meaning snow would be confined to north of the border.

James Madden, from Exacta Weather, explained: "Don’t expect any such indications or copycat forecasts of our forecast indicators for these dates until later this week and early next week from the others, apps, TV forecasts, etc.

"This is happening, and you heard it here first!" The BBC Weather team said: "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."