UK snow: New maps turn purple as 546-mile Arctic bomb to blanket parts of Britain

The latest weather forecast from the Met Office suggests the weather will remain "unsettled" into December, although more likely dominated by rain than snowfall

New weather maps have turned a deep purple as they forecast the imminent arrival of a snow mass that could coat the UK from tip to toe.

Conditions in Britain have become increasingly unsettled in recent days, with Storms Bert and Conall having swept through Europe, bringing string winds and heavy rain. In Wales, locals are still picking up the pieces after severe flooding that killed four people, and, while yellow alerts have since expired, the general picture is still notably wintry.

The temperatures are unlikely to pick up in the coming days, the Met Office has said, remaining noticeably unseasonable, and other forecasters have suggested that another round of snow could be on the horizon. WXCharts maps have captured what appears to be an approaching snowy front descending as the overall forecast looks set to sew an early round of December chaos.

The charts capture the early days of next month, with snow appearing on the forecast for December 9 at 12am. They indicate that fresh snowfall is possible across all of Scotland and down much of the UK west coast as the system arrives from the Arctic Circle, with the system provisionally looking likely to cover around 546 miles of land. The snow, interspersed with rain showers, is unlikely to fall thick and fast, however.

The forecast shows the heaviest snowfall is possible over northern England and southern Scotland, with flurries reaching around 1cm per hour over the worst-hit areas. The maps suggest snow could settle to around the same depth, meaning any ground coverage is unlikely to last into the morning.

There is no sign of heavier snowfall or snow storms, with the Met Office pointing towards rainfall being the dominant weather presence over the next two weeks. Following the naming of storm Conall by the Danish KNMI today, the agency identified which areas could see rain this week.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Steve Willington, said: “Much of the warning area will see 15-20 mm of rain, with 30-40 mm in some areas. There is a lower chance of 50 mm of rain in a few places, more likely for areas such as the Isle of Wight, Sussex and Kent, before rain eases and clears by early afternoon. Given the recent wet weather, some disruption to travel and infrastructure could be possible.

“Along with the rain, things will turn colder from tomorrow for all, with frost and some freezing fog possible.” The long-range weather forecast, which covers the same period as the WXCharts map - December 1 to 10 - states the weather will remain "unsettled" with showers and longer spells of rain falling alongside strong winds and "rather cold" temperatures.

The forecast adds: "High pressure then looks like building close to or over the UK through early December. This will result in drier but also probably generally slightly cooler conditions, and increase the risk of overnight frost and fog. The largely dry, settled theme is likely to be punctuated by brief unsettled and milder spells though, with areas of low pressure crossing the UK, bringing some spells of wind and rain. Temperatures overall generally near average, but rather cold where any fog persists."