A blizzard is set to hammer a number of major UK cities this evening, bringing as much as 1cm of snow per hour to some areas, according to advanced weather modelling maps. It comes after the Met Office warned parts of the country would turn bitterly cold this week and see even more sleet and snow - which, according to the agency's long-range forecast, could continue falling until Valentines Day. WXCharts' latest weather maps show several major cities turning purple this evening to indicate the arrival of snow.
By 6pm tonight, a large chunk of Essex, including Southend-on-Sea, Chelmsford, Colchester, and parts of Cambridge are set to welcome 1cm of snow per hour. Lighter snowfall will be seen in Newcastle, Middlesbrough and some parts of northern Scotland - areas west of Aberdeen and Inverness. London also looks set for some of the white stuff. Minimum temperatures in snow-hit areas will hover between 0C and 1C during these hours. As the night progresses, Newcastle is expected to see 0.6cm of snow per hour from 9pm, while a large area between Inverness and Aberdeen will also turn white. Flurries will ease slightly by midnight on, with the remaining snowfall focused in Scotland.
The Met Office warned upcoming snow will be accompanied by brisk winds and rain. In its forecast for today, it said the UK would be "cloudy, with outbreaks of rain and drizzle" and that "some hill snow is possible, mainly in the north and east". Parts of Northern Ireland and northwest Scotland will feel drier and brighter, with some sunshine but a brisk easterly wind will mean colder conditions. Tonight, the forecaster says it will stay mostly cloudy overnight, with further outbreaks of rain, sleet and hill snow across central and eastern parts. It will be drier in the west, with a patchy frost under any clear skies. Tuesday will remain grey and cold, with some rain and hill snow in the north and east - and there will be a few sunny spells developing across northwest England and western Scotland.
