UK snow maps show when Britain will be battered by one last Arctic ice blast
Winter looks set to return with a vengeance with temperatures plunging below freezing and the possibility of snow, the latest weather maps show.
Met Office: Mostly dry with rain for some
Britain looks set to be plunged into a deep freeze with the country facing a bitterly cold Arctic blast in a few days' time.
The latest weather maps from WX Charts show the UK in the grip of sub-zero temperatures, with northern Britain seeing the mercury crash as low as -14C.
Parts of East Anglia and South East England will see -1C at 6pm on March 21, according to WX Charts. Maps also show snow in parts central Scotland, the western Highlands, Cumbria, County Durham and Northumberland by midnight on March 22.
While the lowest temperatures look set to affect the Scottish Highlands, few areas will escape the freezing Arctic blast, according to weather maps generated on Wednesday (March 13).
Northern England could see -6C, Wales and the Midlands -5C and -2C in parts of Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire.
It is set to be a cold start to the day on March 21 as well, with wind chill adding to the wintery feel at 6am, according to WX Charts maps generated using MetDesk data.
While the latest weather maps show March 21-22 turning decidedly colder, the Met Office's long range forecast (March 17-26) expects a "broadly unsettled but mild period" to continue.
The forecaster says Sunday (March 17) will see areas of rain steadily clearing east through the day with showers developing behind, some of which will be potentially heavy especially in the west.
It adds: "Into the new week temperatures trend down toward just above average for the time of year as showers on Monday (March 18) turn to broader bands of rain at times into the week, though with some brighter, milder, breaks interspersed."
The Met Office says rain will be heaviest in western areas, driest in the south and east. Winds will be generally light to moderate in the south east, with stronger winds affecting north-western areas at times.
By the following weekend more settled conditions will prevail in the south and up to central areas as the majority of systems affect western and northern areas, according to the Met Office.
Don't miss...
Dark red weather maps see Britain smothered in 17C Iberian plume [REVEALED]
Archaeologists surprised at finding huge plague pit containing 1,000 skeletons [REPORT]
Whale experts make 'unprecedented' discovery after watching two males copulate [LATEST]
Met Office UK five day weather forecast
Wednesday, March 13 - Sunday, March 17
Headline: Generally unsettled, blustery showers in the north. Mild.
Today: A band of rain will slowly move across northern parts of the UK, becoming slow moving across North Wales and northern England. Drier in southern England and Wales, but largely cloudy. A windy day, with gales across northern Scotland.
Tonight: Mostly dry but cloudy across the south overnight. Rain across North Wales and northern England edging northwards. Clear spells across Scotland, blustery showers becoming confined to the far north later.
Thursday: A band of cloud and rain continue to move northwards across Scotland. Elsewhere rather cloudy, a few showers developing here and there during the afternoon. Feeling mild, particularly overnight.
Outlook for Friday to Sunday: Remaining changeable Friday and into the weekend with showers or longer spells of rain at times. Turning brighter from the west Sunday. Generally mild for the time of year.