Parts of the UK are bracing for a significant bout of wintry weather in the days following Christmas, with forecasts predicting up to nine hours of snow for eastern regions.
Snow Timeline and Affected Regions
According to data from WX Charts, which utilises Met Desk information, the East of England is set to see snow flurries from midday on Friday, December 27. These conditions are expected to persist until around 9pm the same evening.
The areas most at risk include the east and south east of England, with Greater London and the Home Counties in the potential path of the snowfall. The Midlands is also forecast to be affected by the deteriorating conditions.
Counties Set to Escape the Worst
While the east prepares for a dusting, extensive parts of western England are likely to be spared the brunt of the snow. Forecasts indicate that the following 16 counties will largely avoid the significant snowfall:
- Wiltshire
- Gloucestershire
- Somerset
- Devon
- Cornwall
- Dorset
- Sussex
- Berkshire
- Bedfordshire
- Hertfordshire
- Herefordshire
- Rutland
- Lincolnshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Oxfordshire
- Northamptonshire (Northants)
Weekend Weather Outlook Before Christmas
Looking ahead to the final weekend before the festive day, Netweather TV's Jo Farrow provided a mixed forecast. She noted that the Irish Sea and west coast of Scotland will become windy later on Saturday, though ferry services are hoped to remain undisrupted.
Farrow highlighted a concern for the southwest of England and south Wales, where a frontal band could stall on Saturday night into Sunday as a new low pressure system develops in the Western Channel. This could lead to further rain in areas already saturated from recent wet weather.
"Hopefully the front will soon break up and leave showers over SW Britain and Northern Ireland," Farrow said. "Elsewhere, it will be rather mixed with patchy rain and a lot more cloud as the easterly flow kicks in."
Northern Ireland may experience a particularly wet day, with additional pulses of rain possible from France into southern Britain. While none of this weekend's weather is expected to be severe, localised issues with surface water are a possibility on already damp ground.
