UK weather forecast: Cold snap set to bring snow, hail and gails to Britain next week

Temperatures are set to drop below freezing with snow, hail and strong winds battering Britain over the next few days.

Forecasters said a band of rain is heading towards the UK with showers sweeping in and falling as snow, sleet or hail in parts of the country.

Sunday will see the worst of the deluge making way for a brief period of better weather before another front hits on Monday, the Met Office said.

Strong, wintry gales and sleet will come with plummeting temperatures until warmer, dryer conditions return on Wednesday.

Spokesman for the Met Office Tom Morgan said: "It has been pretty quiet on Saturday but a band of rain will sweep eastwards on Sunday, kick starting colder conditions over the next few days.

"There will be heavy rains in the north with showers turning to sleet and snow in the highlands.

"Sunday will also be quite a breezy day, with gales around costal areas in the west."

Mr Morgan said that the long period of drier weather of this week will come to an abrupt halt with many areas seeing the most rain they have had in a while on Sunday.

Temperatures will remain relatively mild at around 8-9C, he added.

"Monday will see a mixture of sunshine and cloud but it will definitely feel much colder," Mr Morgan said, adding that there will be highs of 5-7C.

"Showers in the north will start to fall more as sleet and snow," he said.

"If you live in the low lying areas of northern Ireland and Scotland, don't be surprised to wake up to a covering of snow on Monday morning."

On Tuesday, there is a possibility of ice with temperatures starting at around freezing or below freezing, he added.

The north could see the mercury fall to -2-3C degrees with the south seeing temperatures just above freezing - around two degrees below average for this time of year, Mr Morgan said.

"There will be a mixture of brighter spells and fairly frequent showers with snow falling in the south on southwestern moors and places like the Brecon Beacons," he added.

"We could see some hail and sleet in the south on Tuesday too before milder, drier conditions return on Wednesday."

Read more

Snow, hail and strong winds set to lash Britain this weekend