Snow to hit Britain as coldest night of the year approaches

Snow to fall as coldest night of year approaches

This year looks set to be Britain's warmest year on record - despite the fact snow is forecast for next week.

According to the Mirror, this year looks set to be the hottest since records began in 1910.

This month would have to be 2.5C colder than normal not to hit the record.

However, the Daily Telegraph reports that the coldest night of the year is looming, with temperatures set to drop to -5C in rural parts of the country.

The paper reports that the Met Office said that areas such as Benson, in Oxfordshire, where one of its weather stations is based, could see its coldest night of the year, with a minimum temperature of 23F (-5C) forecast for overnight on Friday and early Saturday.

Snow could sprinkle parts of coastal areas as far south as Norfolk and Lincolnshire, and the Welsh coast and Lancashire in the west, by Friday.

Leon Brown, meteorologist at The Weather Channel, agreed that snow and freezing temps are on their way. He told Aol Travel: "The weather pattern is starting to allow colder incursions from the north west to reach the UK.

"The main feature will be a colder north west Arctic blast later this weekend.

"A cold front will move quickly south on Sunday followed by wintry showers over the north west with some snow for western Scotland and a few hail and snow showers also moving down to North West England and North Wales later giving a few centimetres over high ground.

"The western Highlands in Scotland may see as much as 15 to 20cm, especially above 200m to 300m. Lower levels could see 2cm to 5cm.

And looking ahead to next week, it will colder with the possibility of snow hitting other parts of the UK.

Leon added: "There will be another colder plunge next week.

"Next week will be much more unsettled everywhere as a large and deep area of low pressure sinks southwards past the west of Iceland to North Scotland and the North Sea. It will become windy, with the winds veering to the north west by mid-week.

"It will turn quite a lot colder after a mild start to the week in the south. We could see some significant snowfalls over high ground in Scotland and North West England late Tuesday to Wednesday, and even over higher parts of Wales and South West England some snow is likely by Wednesday."