Forecasters say “thundersnow” that could disrupt travel and cause power outages is expected to hit the UK as a band of sleet, hail and snow showers passes through the country.
The Met Office issued three yellow warnings for dangerous weather conditions, including lightning strikes from isolated thunderstorms and as much as 10cm of snow falling on the highest ground, from 10am on Thursday until 11am on Friday across Scotland, Wales and northern England.
In the Scottish Highlands, from 8pm on Thursday until 11am on Friday there will be “frequent sleet, hail and snow showers may lead to some disruption to travel during Thursday night and Friday morning”, with longer journey times expected for some roads and railways, icy patches and possible brief power outages.
In the south of Scotland, including Glasgow, and in parts of Northern Ireland and in England north of Manchester , snow will cause some travel disruption from 10am until 4pm on Thursday, according to a separate warning. The Met Office said there would up to two hours of snow in many areas with a risk of temporary slushy accumulations above 100 to 200 metres and strong winds leading to temporary blizzard conditions in higher areas.
The Met Office said Thursday would be dry and cold to start across the UK, but with a band of cloud, wind and rain spreading eastwards, with this falling as snow in some areas although this will not remain for long.
After an unseasonably warm few weeks, including a record-breaking New Year’s Day in which temperatures of 16C were recorded in London, the UK’s first widespread frost of the winter is expected to hit in the coming days, with overnight temperatures set to fall below freezing on Wednesday.
The wet and snowy conditions will give way to sunnier and milder weather over the weekend, especially in the east, albeit with some outbreaks of blustery showers.
Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge said: “At the moment we’ve got a ridge of high pressure leading to clear skies. Into the early hours of tomorrow morning we’ll start to see a weather front approach from the west, bearing in mind conditions will have been intensely cold overnight with frost and freezing fog in southern parts of England. We’ll get this frontal band of precipitation working east, then as that cold air bumps into the weather front moving in we’ll see a line of snow along that front.”
He said “thundersnow” would be caused by the difference between the cold front arriving from the west, reaching the ground that has been warmed by unseasonable temperatures. He added that the conditions were driven by the same meteorological conditions as storms in summer but that it can sound distinct, as it is muffled by snow.
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