Snow falls on Britain overnight – and unsettled weather is likely to last
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Version 0 of 1. Parts of Britain were hit by snowstorms overnight as an Arctic blast sent temperatures falling. Just weeks after the country enjoyed the warmest April day in four years, the balmy weather has given way to wintry conditions. About 1.2in (3cm) of snow lay on the ground in the Highlands of Scotland after storms hit the north of Britain. The Pennines and Northern Ireland have also been struck by sleet and snow showers. Higher parts of the Pennines in Yorkshire and north Derbyshire had a thin covering of snow overnight and wintry showers continued throughout Tuesday morning. Drivers heading over the Snake Pass, between Sheffield and Manchester, were greeted with views of white-topped hills in glorious sunshine and then had to cope with sudden showers of snow, sleet and hail. The showers were brief but heavy. Some of the heavier deluges extended as far east as Sheffield. Forecasters said the unsettled weather was set to last, ending hopes of an early summer. The mercury dropped to below freezing or thereabouts in large swaths of Britain on Monday night, hitting -3C (27F) in parts of Scotland and hovering around freezing on the south coast. Steven Keates, a Met Office forecaster, said: “Through the course of yesterday afternoon we saw an area of low pressure in the north of the UK. There were a lot of showers and we have seen these showers turn to sleet and snow, particularly over higher ground and over Scotland and Northern Ireland.” He warned of icy patches in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and said even the south of England woke up to frost. He said: “It is cold enough for the end of April. It was cold in the south, temperatures were freezing in Bournemouth and I had to scrape the ice off my car this morning, which I didn’t expect, and I’m in Exeter.” Temperatures in Britain have dropped from 25.1C (77F) in Kent a fortnight ago to Tuesday’s 7C (45F) 10C (50F) in the north and between 11-14C (52-57F) and in the south. The country will experience a north-south divide on Tuesday, with sunny spells in the south, and showers bringing hail and thunder to the north. Related: Britain basks in warmest weather of year so far Wind and rain are expected throughout Britain overnight on Tuesday. Keates said: “Persistent rain will hit all areas through the course of the night. We will see a short, sharp burst of rain – squally rain. “It could come down quite heavily, even if it is only for half an hour or an hour. It will bear down on windows and by the end of the night get to the London area. If you commute into London you may get wet tomorrow morning.” The unsettled weather is set to last into next week, meaning those who are hoping for a sunny May bank holiday weekend look set to be disappointed. Keates said: “It is a contrast from what we have seen recently for the first three weeks of April – we have been spoilt.” |