50mph gales set to put spring on hold

BRITAIN faces a wet and windy few days before freezing temperatures and snow usher in a wintry Easter weekend.

Storms will blow in tonight, whipping up 50mph gales and dumping more than an inch of rain in some areas.

Unsettled weather will continue through tomorrow although Atlantic winds will push thermometers close to 60F (15.5C).

But from mid-week cold air will sweep in from Scandinavia turning showers wintry over high ground in the North.

Met Office forecaster Becky Mitchell said: “We are looking at a messy picture over the next few days, it looks like rain will come through on Monday night.

“Winds will also pick up and this band of unsettled weather will linger across eastern parts into Tuesday.

“It will feel mild as we will be in a warm sector of air and we could see temperatures of 59F.”

Scotland is likely to see the heaviest snowfall although snow showers could hit northern and central England, she added.

She said: “From Wednesday milder air moves away and it will feel cooler although temperatures will still reach double figures in the South.

“There will be a battle between warm air to the south and colder air to the north.

“Areas hit by snow will be determined by how far south Monday’s low pressure moves.

“There is a lot of uncertainty at the moment, especially around the Easter weekend.

“However, it is likely that snow will fall mainly across high ground in Scotland although we could see wintry showers across northern and central regions.”

Winds could touch 50mph in exposed regions from tonight with gusts of between 20mph and 30mph forecast inland, the Met Office said.