Advanced weather modelling maps suggest Brits could face some shock snow at the start of May, with as much as four inches per hour falling where flurries are most intense in Wales, England and Scotland.
The GFS weather model maps show a storm moving in from the Atlantic on May 2, with rain falling across much of southern England. By around midnight, this precipitation is expected to fall as heavy snow in both Wales and northern parts of Scotland between Inverness and Aberdeen. Data suggests snow could be falling at a rate of around two inches per hour in Scotland and four inches per hour in Wales.
By 6am on May 6, the storm is expected to have drifted eastward to cover central and southern England once more. While most regions will see more rain, the West Midlands and Gloucestershire could both see pockets of snow, according to the GFS weather model maps.
Snow is also expected to continue in Scotland around this time, moving southward to places like Stirling and Falkirk – possibly hitting Edinburgh also. The white stuff is expected to fall at a rate of around one inch per hour at this time.
As the day progresses, the storm is tracked to move over northern parts of England. Weather maps for around 6pm show heavy snow focused on the Lake District, the Pennines and the Yorkshire Dales. Again, where flurries are most intense, snow could be falling at a staggering rate of around four inches per hour here.
The Met Office says that while the start of May is expected to bring “sunny spells” and “above average” temperatures, there is also the possibility of more “unsettled weather”.
The Met Office forecast for April 29 to May 8 states: “Widely fine and dry across the majority of the UK for the first couple of days of this forecast period. Clear or sunny spells are likely across most regions, although the north and northwest of Scotland and Northern Ireland could be cloudier with a little light rain or drizzle at times.
“Into early May, it will probably begin to turn more changeable, with dry, settled periods interspersed with some spells of unsettled weather. This will bring some showers or longer spells of rain at times, which could be heavy and thundery in places. Temperatures are likely to be widely above average to begin with, but will probably fall nearer normal as we move into early May.”
BBC Weather’s outlook for April 28 to May 4 states: “There is increased confidence of a warm to very warm spell of fine and dry weather, at least through the first half of the week.
“High pressure will become settled just to the east of the UK from Monday and will push steadily northwards, pulling up some warm air from Europe. The far north-west of the UK could still see some showers on Monday but then fine and warm conditions will become widespread by Tuesday with temperatures in the low to mid-20s for all.
“This warm and settled pattern could persist until the end of next week. However, high pressure may eventually pull away to the east, allowing showers to spread in from the south or west towards the end of the week and temperatures could drop as a result.”
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