Queen gets wrapped up as icy blast hits Britain
WINTRY showers could hit anywhere in Britain from today as the blast of Arctic weather that brought snow to Scotland begins to head south.
Cold air moving over the country will bring hailstorms, thunder and lightning as well as possible sleet and snow flurries on northern hills.
Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said last night: “As we go over the next 36 hours those wintry showers will become quite frequent. There’s a possibility of wintry showers just about anywhere in the UK tomorrow.”
Northern Scotland including Aviemore, where snow fell yesterday morning, could see up to two inches in parts today.
And across the rest of the country temperatures could plunge as low as -6C (21F) in remote parts as freezing 60mph gales tear in from the North. However, highs of between 41F (5C) and 55F are expected during the day.
Mr Madge said: “By day, the temperatures won’t be too bad. Really, it’s the night-time temperatures that are going to be quite cold.
“We will see widespread frosts, possibly anywhere, particularly in inland areas. These could be quite sharp in places so, obviously, there’s an additional warning to gardeners and horticulturalists.” Mr Madge said late April snow was not unusual, adding: “It’s possibly created a bit of a surprise for people because we’ve had such a mild March.”
The Queen was wrapped up against the chillier weather yesterday in a beige mac with the hood up on a ride by the River Thames at Windsor.
Forecasters expect temperatures to rise towards the end of the week.