Snow could hit as far south as Hampshire this week, Met Office says

Snow could fall as far south as Hampshire this week, the Met Office has said.

Oli Claydon, a spokesman for the forecaster, said snow showers were expected on the North Sea coast, including Scotland and the north east of England, from Wednesday and heading into the weekend.

“There will be snow showers, but we are not likely to see significant accumulation on the ground,” he added. “There is a lot of uncertainty in the forecast by the time we get to the end of the week and any potential significant snow.”

The rest of the UK will see frosty weather from Tuesday, with temperatures forecast to dip as low as -8C (17F) in sheltered hills and glens in Scotland. Parts of rural eastern England could see temperatures as low as -5C (23F).

“We could see some snow moving into southeastern parts of the UK towards the end of the week, including Hampshire,”  said Mr Claydon. “However, it may also remain dry.”

London is set to see lows of between 1C and 0C throughout the week. Across the country, top temperatures will range from around 2C to 7C – below average for this time of year. Mr Claydon advised people to check the weather before travelling.

Apart from the snow and frost later in the week, rain showers are forecast across the North and East on Monday night. On Tuesday and Wednesday, there will be sunny spells for many, with showers mainly in coastal areas.

The weather is then expected to become more unsettled, with wintry showers in northern parts of the UK and some rain in the South.

Dan Stroud, operational meteorologist at the Met, told The Telegraph: “Allow for extra time for travelling, because there may be slushy deposits. 

“The main story from the cold weather will be the frosty nights, with temperatures down to -6, -7, -8 so there will be a risk of icy stretches on particularly rural roads, so just taking extra care when out and about.”

He added that the likelihood of settled snow was “quite small”, saying: “It will be light, patchy, just landing on grass but there’s still a fair amount of wiggle room in the forecast.

“At the moment we are expecting the cold weather to persist until next weekend, so a cold start to the month. Just try and stay warm, really.”

Last December, the Met Office warned the public not to go out without telling someone where they were going and when they would be back because of a cold snap.

Forecasters declared a level three cold weather alert in conjunction with the UK Health Security Agency. Later in the month, hundreds of people faced travel delays as snow and ice disrupted airports across the country.

The RAC also told people to leave their cars at home and go to football matches on foot because of heavy snowfall.

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