This is where snow is forecast across the UK this week

The UK will be hit by wintry conditions this week, including cool temperatures, sleet, ice and snow (Photo: Shutterstock)The UK will be hit by wintry conditions this week, including cool temperatures, sleet, ice and snow (Photo: Shutterstock)
The UK will be hit by wintry conditions this week, including cool temperatures, sleet, ice and snow (Photo: Shutterstock)

The UK will experience wintry conditions this week, including cool temperatures, sleet, ice and snow.

Here’s this week’s weather forecast.

Where will it snow this week?

In England, the North West will see wintry conditions throughout most of the week, with the end of the week in particular set to see snow and cool temperatures.

The Met Office outlook from Thursday (28 Jan) to Saturday (30 Jan) says: “Rainfall turns wintry into the morning, giving snowfall - potentially heavy over any hills. Drier into Friday, though some showers continue, staying wintry over hills. Dry, bright and cold Saturday.”

The North East and Yorkshire will experience similar conditions, with Thursday set to see “outbreaks of heavy rain, sleet and snow.”

Wind, rain and hill snow will gradually ease during Friday and it will be largely dry on Saturday, but cold again with some brighter spells possible.

The East and South East of England are both forecast to have heavy rain and wind this week, with “gales on Channel coasts Friday and Saturday.”

In Scotland, some areas will see heavy rain, sleet and snow on Tuesday, before being drier and brighter on Wednesday (27 Jan).

However, the Met Office forecast for Thursday to Sunday says conditions will be “cloudy with rain, sleet and snow pushing up from the South West on Thursday, clearing back southwards Friday morning. Dry with sunny spells thereafter.”

In Northern Ireland, there will mainly be windy weather and heavy rain this week, being “cloudy and wet on Thursday, with rain heavy at times, this clears southwards Friday morning but cloud lingering into the afternoon. Dry with sunny spells on Saturday.”

What weather warnings are in place?

A Met Office yellow weather warning for snow is in place from 12am on Thursday (28 Jan) until 6am on Friday (29 Jan), covering Central, Tayside & Fife, Grampian, Highlands & Eilean Siar, North East England, North West England, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders, Strathclyde and Yorkshire & Humber.

"Heavy snowfall may occur across the hills in this region and bring significant disruption to travel," the weather warning said.

A yellow weather warning for rain is also in place from 12am to 23.59pm on Thursday, covering East Midlands, North West England and West Midlands.

The Met Office said: "Heavy rainfall will likely lead to some minor transport disruption and flooding."

What will the weather be like next week?

Looking ahead to next week, “unsettled conditions look likely to dominate for this period, with low pressure across the UK,” according to the Met Office.

This should bring changeable weather to most of the country, with periods of rain, showers, and strong winds at times.

Although mild westerly and south westerly winds are expected to be dominant for most of this period, occasional colder northerly winds are possible, which bring a chance of snowfall. However, this is likely to be confined to far northern parts.