Forecaster pinpoints date UK could be hit by 'early wintry blast' and nationwide snow

Lizzie McAllister
·2-min read
Residential properties after low temperatures and overnight snowfall
-Credit: (Image: Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images)


Brits may be in for a cold spell in the coming days and weeks as an 'early wintry blast' looks set to arrive on our shores, potentially bringing snow.

Temperatures across the country have begun to drop in recent weeks as we head into the colder months. But while autumn is drawing to a close and winter is nearly here, we could be in for some unseasonably cold weather before December hits, according to a forecaster.

James Madden of Exacta Weather took to TikTok, where he explained: "The expected and continued mild November weather is still set to give way to wintry blasts and some early snow later in the month for the UK and Ireland," the video said.

READ MORE:UK issued 'exact date' November snow blast could hammer England

READ MORE:HMRC issues state pensioners tax code warning after 'sudden change'

READ MORE Spain warns UK tourists situation has turned 'very serious' and 'intense'

"Our current forecasts have some quite strong indicators for these changes to occur in and around 19-20 November at the earliest and/or for up to several days later and during late November across the UK and certain parts of Ireland/Northern Ireland.

"Additionally, our long-range forecasts from 100+ days ahead opted for a 'weak to moderate' confidence scenario for further stormy conditions to potentially coincide with cold from the north to deliver an early wintry blast on at least 1-2 occasions during the period of November 6-19."

The Met Office has also predicted "cold spells" in its long-range forecast running from Tuesday, November 12 to Thursday, November 21. However, the forecaster stopped short of predicting snow for this time of year, instead warning we could be in for some drizzle.

"The influence of high pressure is likely to decline through the course of next week with an increasing chance of showers or longer spells of rain, initially more likely in the east," it said in its UK-wide forecast. "However, there is currently significant uncertainty in how quickly conditions turn more unsettled.

"Thereafter, likely more mixed conditions conditions with some wetter, windier weather at times but also some drier interludes bringing the chance of morning fog patches. Temperatures overall around average though with potential for some rather cold spells."

Met Office maps also suggest the northeast, including Glasgow and Manchester, could see downpours as early as this weekend. A front coming in from the Atlantic looks set to hit our eastern coast that morning, but, according to the map, should dissipate before it sweeps too far west.

Snow-forecast.com suggests snow has already begun to fall in parts of the country, namely parts of Scotland. However, parts of northern England and Wales appear to have also seen some flakes.

Latest stories

  • UK weather: Met Office warnings issued ahead of ice and 75mph winds blasting Britain this week

    Forecaster warns of travel chaos, increased chance of accidents and power cuts as temperatures plunge to below freezing and snow sweeps across parts of country

  • Met Office map shows where snow could fall TODAY as UK braced for chilly weather

    Wintry conditions will return for some Brits

  • These lights are being installed around a Welsh city - there's a problem if you see them flashing red or purple

    It is the first city in the UK to have the lights installed

  • Watch as Florida gator drags massive python across pond

    Large Burmese pythons are known to eat alligators in Florida’s Everglades region. But sometimes the opposite is true. The accompanying footage, captured Nov. 28, shows a large gator swimming across a pond with a giant python in its

  • 'Wet and windy' weather to sweep UK this week after cold spell, Met Office says

    Britons can expect milder temperatures this week, although the Met Office warns low pressure will bring a "disruptive" period of wind and rain.

  • ‘It just keeps coming and coming’: Heavy lake-effect snow dumps more than 5 feet over parts of Great Lakes region

    Post-Thanksgiving travel will be treacherous in parts of the Great Lakes region on Monday with more lake-effect snow falling after the region was already buried under feet of it, while cold temperatures remain across a large swath of the United States.

  • Rhodes: British holidaymakers issued with torrential rain warning amid deadly Storm Bora flooding

    Holidaymakers are being warned of flooded properties and streets and possible power cuts as Storm Bora hits

  • Cost of switching off UK wind farms soars to ‘absurd’ £1bn

    British bill payers have spent an “absurd” £1bn to temporarily switch off wind turbines so far this year as the grid struggles to cope with their power.

  • UK weather: Temperatures forecast as low as -10C

    Forecasters are predicting a widespread frost across the UK, with the potential for -10C (14F) in some places. Most areas will turn dry on Monday evening and, as skies clear, temperatures are set to plummet overnight. "Rural areas, mainly in Scotland, could dip as low as -10C (14F), while -6C (21F) is possible in parts of Northern Ireland and north Wales," said Sky News weather producer Chris England.

  • Colo. Girl, 4, Approached Animal She Thought Was Dog. It Was Actually a Coyote, Who Attacked Child

    “The agency is reminding everyone to be vigilant of their children and pets when living amid wildlife,” the Colorado Parks and Wildlife statement said

  • Scientists gather to decode puzzle of the world's rarest whale in 'extraordinary' New Zealand study

    It is the world’s rarest whale, with only seven of its kind ever spotted. “I can’t tell you how extraordinary it is,” said a joyful Anton van Helden, senior marine science adviser for New Zealand’s conservation agency, who gave the spade-toothed whale its name to distinguish it from other beaked species. Van Helden has studied beaked whales for 35 years, but Monday was the first time he has participated in a dissection of the spade-toothed variety.

  • Snow to hit parts of Scotland as temperatures drop below freezing

    Temperatures in parts of Scotland could hit as low as -8 degrees celcius as the colder winter weather hits the country.

  • Nephew spent hundreds of pounds to fix aunt's grave damaged by flooding

    Newport man had to pay hundreds of pounds to have his aunt's grave in St Woolos Cemetery reset after flood damage.

  • At least two people killed in Greece as Storm Bora sparks warnings

    Greece's civil protection service says they have issued an emergency alert, warning of torrential rains and strong winds in the northeast, the centre, and the region around Athens.View on euronews

  • Met Office warns of more stormy weather and heavy rain for Wales

    If the Met Office name the storm it would be called Storm Darragh and come just days after Storm Bert

  • Farmer ordered to pay more than £6k after polluting stream

    A farmer has been ordered to pay more than £6,500 after ignoring the opportunity to avoid a criminal conviction.

  • Meet the aging hunters battling bears in rural Japan

    STORY: In rural Japan a gunshot rings out. A bear slumps in a cage."This brown bear got too close to a human community. It wasn't right here but over that way in the middle of the town and on the roads close by. In this kind of situation, we have no choice other than to trap them." Bears are making their way closer to homes, and putting people’s lives at risk. Keeping the townspeople safe often falls on the shoulders of a dwindling band of aging hunters, like 75-year-old Haruo Ikegami. "I'm often the first one that gets there when they're caught like this, and I always say, 'oh come on, you're already in there?' I can't bear it."Once a common sight among the trees, hunters like Ikegami are now older, and fewer in number than before. :: RUNNING OUT OF TIMEJapan’s population is both aging and shrinking.As of 2020, about 60% of gun license-holders, like Ikegami, are over 60. And in areas where bears roam, some residents wonder what will happen when these hunters can no longer do their job. In the town of Naie, Tatsuhito Yamagishi has accused the local government of taking hunters for granted."They say we should train new hunters, but there's nothing specific on how we should do this. Who's going to hold the training sessions and the workshops? In a few years' time when we (hunters) are all over 70 years old, will there even be anybody left who could teach people how to hunt bears, even if they wanted to?"Naie’s local government declined to comment on the dispute with Yamagishi, but said officials were taking steps to address the bear problem.Japan’s environment ministry says it subsidizes local governments to train officials and conduct bear drills.But the country’s reliance on recreational bear hunters could become unsustainable, according to the hunters themselves, officials, residents and experts Reuters spoke to. :: BOLDER BEARSBoth black and brown bears’ habitats have been expanding, in part because of depopulation in rural areas, experts say.Some believe this, and less managed farmland, may be making bears more daring.And the animals appear to be raising cubs closer to human settlements, causing them to fear people less than before.All this has contributed to an increase in human-bear incidents.In the twelve months through March 2024, 219 people were attacked. Six fatally. More than 9,000 black and brown bears were trapped and culled over that period, according to Japan’s environment ministry.84-year-old Katsuo Harada carries scars from over 20 years ago, when a bear sank its teeth into his skull.'It was like it was gnawing on a raw radish, scraping and crunching. I passed out at the sound and I don't know what happened beyond that."Harada is now part of a group that helps keep problematic wildlife at bay."I feel that I have to protect the people living here. Whenever I set a trap, you saw today there are four locations, I'm driven forwards by the thought that if I hadn't laid the traps, somebody could have been killed." One common way to trap bears is by using a large cage with bait, like a deer carcass, salmon or honey. The trap is designed so that the creature steps on a metal plate when it goes near the bait, triggering the door to close. The local authorities then make a call on what to do with the animal and may involve licensed hunters to kill it. The trapped bear is looked after and fed until it is culled.As an alternative solution, some companies are turning to technology.This “Monster Wolf” robot growls, barks and emits threats. Costing about $2,500, it is triggered by a sensor and powered by solar energy.It has shown some success, but Yamagishi explains that it takes years for humans to learn how to trap bears and insists their expertise will remain indispensable. :: DWINDLING FRONT LINEResponding to the increase in attacks, the Japanese government this year proposed relaxing rules around gun use to make it easier to shoot bears in urban areas.But hunters say it’s hard to find new recruits because the job is expensive, unappealing, and exhausting.Some get 8,000 yen, or about $50 from local governments for a bear cull. This might cover expenses and fuel, Ikegami says, but little else. A system is needed, they suggest, where hunters are paid enough to support a family. Because if the younger generation doesn’t take up the torch, the last line of defence will soon be gone.

  • Met Office warns of snow for northern UK as temperatures to plummet again

    Northerly winds will bring colder conditions to the UK as the new week gets underway

  • 50ft sinkhole in Welsh town ‘getting bigger and bigger’

    A 50-ft sinkhole that has led to the evacuation of residents in a Welsh town is getting “bigger and bigger”, a council leader has said.

  • Weather maps show when snow could next fall in County Durham and Darlington

    Met Office and WXCharts: Across the month, flurries of snow and a more significant downpour of 'winter weather' will hit County Durham and Darlington.