UK weather latest: Britain forecast to face strong winds and rain as Met Office warns of potential snow

Latter part of week will see return to colder temperatures

Those hoping to hang up their winter coats, hats and gloves should hold off for a few more days, as forecasters have warned of rain, high winds and the potential for more snow.

A weather front from the south west moving towards the north east is set to bring heavy rain on Wednesday and Thursday, along with strong winds.

Rain will be persistent and heavy in places, especially in southwest England and Northern Ireland, according to the Met Office.

A weather warning has been issued for the eastern part of Northern Ireland for heavy rain from Wednesday afternoon and into Thursday morning, which forecasters said could lead to some flooding and result in longer journey times.

Meanwhile, the latter part of the week will see a return to colder temperatures and a snow risk in the northeast.

A very cold weekend brings the risk of snow showers, particularly in the south and east of the UK.

A spokeswoman for the Met Office, Nicky Maxey, said there was potential for further yellow warnings to be issued as a result of that front and there was a chance of gale force winds.

She said by Friday the rain would be confined to the east and there would be dryer conditions elsewhere.

“We start to see colder air coming in from the east then as we go through Friday and into Saturday and when that cold air meets that band of rain on the east side of the country, there’s a chance that some of that rain could turn to snow over higher ground,” she said.

Ms Maxey said temperatures in London were expected to reach 11C or 12C on Tuesday but by Saturday they would fall in the capital to around 7C or 8C and 5C on Sunday, while in some rural areas temperatures may struggle to climb above zero.

She said there was a higher risk of snow on Sunday as the cold air moved across the southern half of the country but that it would not compare to the conditions caused by the so-called Beast from the East at the beginning of the month.

“This system doesn’t compare in any way to what we had before,” she said

“It is going to be a cold spell, there is a chance some places on Sunday may struggle to get above freezing... so it is going to be cold, but we are not talking anywhere near what we had the weekend before last.”

The first few days of next week were also likely to be cold, she added.

Additional reporting by Press Association