UK weather: Snow and thunderstorms to replace the sun

Uk weather: Snow and thunderstorms to replace balmy temperatures

After enjoying balmy temperatures as warm as Ibiza this week, Britain is facing a return to colder weather this weekend that could even bring snow.

Weather experts suggest temperatures could be 5C lower than average temperatures, making it feel like "early March" again.

It is thought the cooler temperatures will hang around though to early May.

Leon Brown, meteorologist at The Weather Channel UK, told Aol Travel: "We are still looking at quite a change in the weather from the end of this week, and becoming a lot cooler or colder from the north next week.

"It will be more like early March than the end of April.

"Temperatures next week will be 4C to 5C below normal, in contrast to the temperatures this week at 3C to 4C above normal.

"This weekend there will be some large precipitation totals as the colder Arctic air mass moves southwards. There will be 10mm to 20mm across the north on Saturday and similar over central Britain on Sunday. There's also a thunder risk in the south by Sunday.

Leon continued: "There could even be snow over the Pennines on Sunday night and snow over the higher hills from Wales northwards next week.

"Next week, there will be sunshine and showers with night frosts. Some low temperatures in the north at night with temperatures down to -5C.

"The below normal temperatures will be with us right through to early May."

And how are things looking for the London Marathon on Sunday? Leon added: "There is still a shower risk, although latest forecasts is just a little bit slower to move the cold front southwards, so the heaviest showers may just hold back to the north and west of London until later in the afternoon, allowing temperatures to lift to 15 or 16C in central London.

"There's a big temperature contrast behind the cold front with temperatures falling some 10 degrees in the evening."