UK and Europe weather forecast latest, December 5: Wintry weather to cover Britain with a new snow alert issued

	UK and Europe weather forecast latest, December 4: Ferocious chill with five day snow bomb to hit Britain
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UK's weather forecast

According to Express, a new snow alert has been issued by the Met Office warning wintry weather will continue to smash into northern Britain until tomorrow morning - as the country is bombarded by 36-hours of bitter conditions.

Brutal polar air has forced temperatures to subzero lows this week with wintry weather smashing into Britain. The Met Office issued a new updated alert as snow is forecast to spread and hit parts of western Scotland tonight. A yellow warning for snow was first issued after it started to fall in Scotland on Wednesday evening but it will now continue over more than a 36-hour period until 9am on Friday, also impacting northern England.

The Met Office warned: “Snow is likely to bring a brief period of travel disruption to parts of Scotland and Northern England early on Friday.”

The Met Office also claimed Thursday night would likely become the coldest night of 2020 so far with thermometers expected to plunge to -10C.

UK snow warning: Temperatures could plummet to -4C (Image: WXCHARTS)

They wrote on Twitter: “Tonight is likely to be the coldest night of #2020 so far. As of 1700, temperatures are already minus 7°C across parts of Scotland and they are likely to fall a few more degrees in places before cloud arrives later in the night.”

A chart, which was posted alongside the Met Office’s Tweet, showed parts of northern and western Scotland reaching lows of -10C, with freezing conditions right across the country.

While the Met Office warning for northern England, added as much of 20cm (7.8 inches) of snow could fall over higher ground.

It read: “Areas of snow are expected to develop during Thursday evening and the early hours of Friday. Snow may briefly settle across areas as low as 150m above sea level, although later in the night and on Friday morning the snow level will likely rise to 500m and above from the east as milder air arrives from the east."

“Snow will then turn to persistent, and at times heavy, rain at lower levels. The bulk of snow accumulations will be over hills and mountains. 2-5cm of snow is possible above 150m, with transient sleet/snow at lower elevations."

UK snow warning: Britons will be blasted with sub-zero lows (Image: WXCHARTS)

“Steadily increasing amounts are likely at higher levels; perhaps as much as 10-20cm above 400m, significantly affecting higher transport routes for a time before it turns to rain.”

Terry Scholey at Netweather said low pressure will sweep a bitter chill towards the UK. He said: "It's a messy, cold weather picture over the next few days and into the weekend as complex low pressure becomes established across the country. We have polar air that's been modified by the ocean making it a little less cold than true Arctic air, but it's nonetheless raw and above all moist.'

"So it doesn't take much when skies clear at night for surfaces left wet by showers to freeze leading to black ice. Yellow warnings of snow and ice have been issued to this effect, so please be extra careful when venturing out."

"Blustery showers, which are heavy in places have already brought hill snow to the North and West of Scotland, where there's also been some snow at lower levels."

"Further wintry showers are in the offering today, with the snow accumulating in the mountains. At lower levels after an icy start in places, the showers will fall mostly as sleet, hail or wet snow. Across the East and South of Scotland, any showers will be well scattered, where you'll see the best of the sunshine today. The hills of Northern Ireland have also seen some snow, but here too wintry showers will largely fade leaving sunny spells."

UK snow warning: The cold front could linger until the weekend (Image: WXCHARTS)

Jim Dale from British Weather Services warned the UK could see snow hitting northern regions over the next few weeks while the freezing lows could also linger until Christmas.

He told Express.co.uk: "It is quite magical to see snow is not off the agenda this year. Britain is a big place so widespread snow is unlikely."

"Northern cities like Glasgow or Edinburgh in Scotland have the most chance of snow until Christmas, but not southern areas like London."

"In order for widespread snow to hit, we will need to get northerly flows from the Arctic in our direction, but we usually get Atlantic and Siberian flows."

"However, I think it will be cold this Christmas, which will people keep on their toes. It could continue to stay cold until February."

Betway has also slashed odds on a white Christmas. Betway’s Chad Yeomans said: “We’ve all noticed a dramatic drop in temperatures across the UK, with snow predictions coming in thick and fast but, will it last till Christmas?”

“Ten years since the last widespread White Christmas in the UK, odds for snow on the 25th in Manchester and Birmingham are 5/1 and 11/2 respectively, while in London odds have been slashed from 8/1 to 11/2.”

On December 5

Photo: Weather Online

According to Weather Online, the area of low pressure remains over the south of the UK through Saturday. This brings another cold day. Plenty of cloud and periods of rain across much of eastern and southern Scotland as well as parts of northeast England. Further areas of rain and showers affects Ireland and the far south and southwest of England. Snow affects the Grampians with snow showers affecting northern Scotland too. A cold day with highs at 6 or 7C along eastern coasts, nearer 3 to 5C in the west.

Europe's weather forecast

Cold across Spain and Portugal with rain and showers, these heavy at times. Further showers and rain in the Balearics and cold weather here too. Heavy rain in northern Italy and across Corsica and Sardinia. Southern Italy should be brighter and drier. Showers around Greece, these heavy to the west, with heavy showers also in western and southern Turkey.

Photo: Stirimeteo

Rain and showers in France and cold here too. Further rain in the Low Countries. Germany should be mostly dry with some patchy rain and strong winds in Poland. Hungary will be dry with some sunny spells. Austria and Switzerland have more cloud and some outbreaks of rain. Heavy snowfall likely over the Alps.

Denmark will be mostly dry and bright with some sunny spells. The Baltic States will be windy as well as Finland. Rain in the west of Finland. More rain in central and northern Sweden. Norway will be bright with sunny spells and should be dry.

On December 5

Photo: Stirimeteo

Showery outbreaks of rain for northern and western Portugal as well as across northwest Spain. This falls as snow over the mountains. Outbreaks of rain, these locally very heavy, for the Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia and northern Italy. This later spreads to Sicily and southern Italy. Showers ease over eastern Greece and western Turkey to leave a dry and bright day here.

Showers and patchy rain over western France while eastern areas stay dry and bright. Dry and fine too for the Low Countries and for eastern Germany while western parts of Germany see some cloud with patchy rain and showers. Breezy for Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary with variable amounts of cloud. Further snow and rain expected over Switzerland and Austria.

Photo: Weather Online

Dry but rather cloudy for Denmark, the Baltic States and much of Finland as well as for southern parts of Norway and Sweden. Wintry showers for northern parts of Finland and Sweden while Norway should stay dry and bright.

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