Weather maps and some forecasters are predicting the UK will be hit with a blast of wintery air from continental Europe – a ‘beast from the east’ – towards the end of this month. WXCharts showed snow sweeping across Scotland for around 72 hours from January 24 as temperatures take a tumble.
Exacta Weather has also predicted a big snow event is on the horizon, suggesting winter is about to return “with a vengeance” after a period of cold conditions last week. The Met Office, however, is staying coy with its long-range forecast although it does not rule out the possibility of the UK’s weather moving in from the east towards the end of January.
Temperatures will remain mild for much of this week but from Sunday, January 19, the Met Office says there will be a “transition” over several days “between the settled, dry, and often dull conditions expected over the next few days, to something more unsettled”. After that, “more settled conditions with light winds becoming re-established,” is expected although there will be a chance of rain “in both the far north and the far south, and a smaller chance that the rain could become more widespread”.
Wetter and windier conditions are expected later in the week but the forecast adds: “…alternatively there is a very small chance of colder, drier, but perhaps wintry, easterly winds.” BBC Weather is also not ruling out cold easterly winds to end January.
READ MORE: Weather experts give ‘Beast from the East’ verdict as plunging temperatures explained
READ MORE: ‘Prepare for worse snow’ as weather forecaster predicts when ‘biggest sting of winter’ will arrive
It’s monthly outlook states that some models suggest high pressure will move towards Scandinavia, paving the way for a “colder and possibly drier off-continental flow” to impact on the UK. It comes as WXCharts reviews the date that snow is expected with the wintery weather not forecast until January 29.
The original ‘Beast from the East’ in 2018 brought Scotland to a standstill. A rare red weather warning was issued as a sudden stratospheric warming broke down the polar vortex and caused a complete whiteout across the UK.
For more news, follow us on Facebook and Twitter but never miss the latest top headlines and sign up to our daily newsletter here.