UK snow maps show major snowstorm could hit as ‘extremely hazardous’ conditions forecast

Weather maps show a major snowstorm could hit the UK in early January, with every county set to see some snow according to the data. However, some regions could face a rare and extremely hazardous weather phenomenon

A rare and perilous weather event appears poised to strike certain areas of Britain as charts reveal a massive snowstorm is brewing. The GFS weather model indicates that every county across the UK could witness snowfall, with flurries set to blanket the nation at the beginning of next month.

The forecasting data reveals snow descending from January 4 through to January 7, battering major urban centres including London, Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Come the evening of January 7, snow coverage charts indicate that virtually the entire country could see the white stuff settling across the landscape.

Yet the maps also point to certain regions facing a weather phenomenon that the Met Office warns can prove “extremely hazardous”.

Zones highlighted in orange across the charts signal that “freezing rain” may descend on January 7. This freezing precipitation is anticipated to strike Scotland during the early morning hours, before potentially reaching the Midlands and possibly sections of Wales by midday. It could subsequently affect East Anglia and Bedfordshire around 9pm.

What is freezing rain?

The Met Office characterises freezing rain as a “rare type of liquid precipitation that strikes a cold surface and freezes almost instantly”.

It develops when snow tumbles through milder air, causing it to transform into rain, before plummeting through frigid air once more. This results in the droplets becoming “supercooled” and maintaining a temperature below zero, even though they remain in liquid form.

The Met Office clarifies: “When this ‘supercooled’ droplet hits the ground (which is below zero too) it spreads out a little on landing, and then instantly freezes, encasing the surface in a layer of clear ice. This is why it is called freezing rain.”

Hazards of freezing rain

Freezing rain can present several dangers. The Met Office warns that the weight of the ice can cause trees and power lines to collapse.

Additionally, roads and walkways effectively become ice rinks due to the ice. The national weather service further cautions: “The freezing rain can also prove extremely hazardous for aircraft.”

Met Office Weather Forecast for January

The Met Office predicts “wintry hazards” at the beginning of January, which could include snowfall, potentially affecting even low-lying areas.

The Met Office’s forecast for January 1 to 10 reads: “An area of low pressure moves through the North Sea at first, which leads to rain and showers spreading south across the UK.

“Thereafter high pressure will likely be centred to the northwest with low pressure to the east, which allows a cold, showery, northerly flow develop for a time. For many this leads to a fairly settled period but there will be some wintry hazards including perhaps snow to low levels to north facing coastal areas at times.

“Showers will likely spread further inland at times and there may be some windier periods with more prolonged rain, however on the whole it will be drier than average. Temperatures will likely be below average for much of the period though it may turn near average or above average later.”