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Brits have been lured into a false sense of security over spring with brighter conditions this week – as it’s all set to come tumbling down in a matter of days
Settled conditions, brighter skies and even a milder climate has led millions to believe spring is about to arrive. But such hopes could be scuppered by mid-month, thanks to a new Arctic blast setting its sights on Britain.
Maps from independent forecasters, Netweather, turn red as the snow risk for nearly all of northern Scotland strengthens, along with a large portion of northern England, on March 18. WXCHARTS maps also show a similar scenario, with flurries hitting cities such as Manchester and Birmingham around the same time. GFS runs for this period indicate temperatures are set to fall for nearly all parts of the country.
Aberdeen and Inverness could be grappling with -4C lows at midday on March 18, while central London’s mercury could straddle 0C. A huge section of the Midlands is set to see -1C, while northern towns and cities will also sit between -1C and 0C, making the perfect conditions for snow to settle.
Jim Dale, a senior meteorologist for British Weather Services told the Mirror it’s not as clear-cut as maps appear to be showing. He said: “To be honest the next two weeks appear to be swings & roundabouts as far as the cold is concerned, dipping in & dipping out again. Scotland in particular will be experiencing the deepest and majority of the frosts, with just a little snow for the Highlands.
“The south benefits from longer milder phases limiting the wintry leftovers. All of us will see some rain at times from Friday onwards but as per normal, the north and west will tend to see the greatest share.”
Met Office verdict
The Met Office alludes to colder conditions on their way in its long-range forecast which runs up until March 16. It says: “How weather patterns evolve during the following week is unclear but there is an increased chance that high pressure will become more dominant for a time from the north. This would result in a good deal of dry weather but also lead to a downturn in temperatures with a low chance of a colder spell.”
Looking even further ahead, from March 17 to 31, the Met Office forecasters added: “Above average temperatures are more likely than below though some colder spells remain possible during late March.”