Flurries of snow and sleet are forecast in Kent later this week as the Met Office has announced a new yellow weather warning. The county saw its first snowfall of the winter overnight between Saturday, January 4 and Sunday, January 5 following a prolonged spell of freezing temperatures.
Though milder conditions arrived at the end of the weekend, the mercury has once again slumped down to the low single digits today (Monday, January 4) and the cold is seemingly here to stay. Met Office forecasters have issued a yellow weather warning for snow which will come into effect from 9am on Wednesday, January 8 and spans all of Kent.
Remaining in place for 15 hours in total, the warning is due to be lifted at 11.59pm that night. Disruption is likely as a result of a cold weather system which forecasters predict could push snow into the southern counties throughout the day.
Sub-zero temperatures are expected during the morning, with the likes of Maidstone, Ashford and Tunbridge Wells braced for lows of -2C around dawn. By the afternoon, highs of just 2C have been forecast across the county which may provide the conditions needed for snow to fall and settle.
Met Office weather maps show wintery showers developing to the west and north of the county at around 3pm, namely in Dartford, Medway and Tunbridge Wells. For the rest of the county, spells of rain are likely over the course of the day which may turn to sleet at times, particularly nearer the coast.
The weather warning advises that power cuts could occur and that other services, such as phone signal, may be lost too. There is a slight chance of rural communities becoming cut off, most likely in upland areas.
Once again, the adverse weather may lead to travel and transport delays, with some vehicles and passengers at risk of being stranded where snowfall is at its strongest. Accumulations between 2-5cm of snow could develop fairly widely, the warning goes on to state, adding that as much as 10cm may be seen over higher ground, especially over east or northeast-facing slopes.
The yellow weather warning for snow will be in place for 15 hours on Wednesday and covers all of Kent
(Image: Met Office)
Looking over the coming week, Mike Silverstone, Deputy Chief Forecaster for the Met Office, said: “Temperatures will remain below average, with widespread frost and the threat of ice at times. Some areas, especially in the north, may struggle to get above freezing for several days.
“There is also the potential for some snow in southern and maybe central parts of England and Wales around the middle of the week, as a system brushes the south, bumping into the cold air. This is however still uncertain, and we’ll continue to assess this over the coming days.
“Further weather warnings could be issued through next week, so do stay up to date with the forecast.” Beyond this, drier and brighter spells have been forecast for Thursday and Friday, though cold temperatures will persist, hitting as low as -3C on Friday morning leading to more widespread frost.
Temperatures could drop as low as -3C in Kent later this week
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto/Andy-Coleman)
Turning toward the weekend, the Met Office long range forecast states: “A cold, frosty and mostly fine start to Friday, perhaps with a few freezing fog patches. However, a band of cloud and rain will edge into the west later, this possibly preceded by some sleet or snow, and likely accompanied by some strong winds.
“This will tend to decay in situ though. Through the weekend and beyond, high pressure is likely to develop close to the UK, with generally settled conditions prevailing through mid-month.”