Britain set for 'Big Freeze' this weekend: Snow and sleet forecast

Just days after Britain felt the effects of 100mph winds from Storm Imogen, some forecasters are predicting a big freeze - with up to 8cm of snow from Friday.

The snow and sleet is forecast to hit as far south as Wales and the Midlands.

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Leon Brown, meteorologist at The Weather Channel warned that this week would be wintry with frosts and some snow likely.

Speaking to Aol Travel, he said: "It will be frosty on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, and also icy with showers over Wales and parts of the Midlands. Snow will move south across northern to central Scotland.

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"There'll be further showers across central and southern Britain during Thursday and isolated showers in the north. There'll be plenty of sunshine too across the north, but more cloud across the south.

"There will be widespread frost on Thursday night to Friday morning and freezing fog over central and southern Britain, too. Another band of sleet and snow will move down across northern to central Scotland.

"It may take a while for freezing fog to clear on Friday morning in the south followed by a dry and bright day. Light sleet and snow will move from central Scotland to southern Scotland."

He continued: "This weekend becomes more complex with a potential clash between a cold easterly flow from Scandinavia and milder Atlantic air to the southwest.

"An area of low pressure is likely to develop and move across southern Britain with a snow risk across Wales and the Midlands through the day and evening. As much as 2 to 8cm is possible, especially over hills. The north will be dry, clearer and frosty.

"Sunday will be rather cold in a freshening north to north-easterly wind, with sleet and snow showers likely in the east.

"Next week will start quite cold and frosty but sunny too, then become mild and windy with rain by mid-week."

The Met Office is also forecasting snow, mainly on higher ground, tweeting this morning:

The Weather Outlook also predicts the possibility of snow as an icy grip takes hold from Friday.

Its forecast reads: "During Friday, rain is expected to spread across southern counties but the north remains chilly and showery.

"The weekend sees an ongoing risk of rain, sleet and snow in southern and central counties as weather fronts move in from the Atlantic and bump into colder air over the UK.

"Snow is most probable over high ground, and on the northern edge of the precipitation, which looks like being in the Midlands.

"Valentine's Day perhaps brings the highest chance of a few flakes of snow to the south."