Britain braced for hail, snow and rain as Arctic winds hit and temperatures fall

Arctic wind will bring snow, hail and 60mph gusts to the UK this week as temperatures fall again.

The Met Office said that tonight will be a mostly dry, cloudy night, with wind and sometimes heavy rain arriving in the north and Scotland on Tuesday.

But the mercury will plunge as the week progresses, forecasters warned — with more snow likely to fall.

Chief Forecaster Laura Patterson said: “It will become windy on Wednesday with widespread gales and heavy rain moving eastwards later.

“Rain will clear on Thursday then turning much colder from the north with blustery showers developing.

“By Friday the UK will be in an Arctic Maritime air mass with temperatures across the country staying in low single figures by day and below freezing by night.

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“Blustery winds will make wind chill a real issue for many. Conditions will be cold enough for any showers to fall as snow or hail in many places.”

Office meteorologist Charles Powell also warned temperatures could drop even lower than last week as northerly gales blast the UK.

He said: “It’s quite quiet as we start the week, but on Tuesday we will see a small change that will paint a picture, as slightly wet and windy weather develops across north west Scotland.

“On Wednesday there will be gales across the UK with a band of rain working its way across the west.

“By Thursday morning the rain starts to clear and opens the door for some really cold weather, especially across the northern half of the UK.

“Temperatures will struggle to get much above 5 or 6C (41 to 43F).”

By Friday, the cold is expected to be felt across most of Britain, with hail, sleet and snow all forecast.

The showers will spread across most parts of the country, with snow possible in many places even at sea level.