UK weather: Britain set to be battered by 80mph winds and 15 inches of snow as temperatures plummet

Forecasters have issued a series of warnings and said temperatures could feel as cold as -13C today

Up to 15 inches of snow and winds of 80mph are set to hit Britain today as forecasters warn temperatures could feel as cold as -13C.

The Met Office has warned that vulnerable and elderly people could be at risk of the cold conditions with the snow showers likely to cause transport chaos.

From today, forecasters say 15 inches of snow could fall in places, with Scotland and northern England most at risk from tonight and into tomorrow.

Strong and gusty winds - with 80mph recorded in Wales this morning - will lead to blizzard-like conditions.

A Met Office spokesman said: "An active cold front is expected to push southeast across the UK during Wednesday, introducing an increasingly cold and unstable air mass.

A cyclist in Scotland during a snow blizzard

 

"Showers will become frequent and heavy, falling primarily as snow and driven well inland by strong to gale force northwesterly winds.

"Commuters and other travelers seem likely to face a variety of winter hazards, especially later on Wednesday and early on Thursday, although it's likely that snowfall in some areas may be more patchy, particularly towards the east."

Forecasters have warned that up to 15 inches of snow will fall on the highest ground in Scotland while up to 8 inches could fall in parts of northern England.

The Met Office issued amber weather warnings today and said the "severe cold weather" could last until Tuesday.

This map shows the areas most likely to be hit by snow today

 

Forecasters said the conditions will increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services.

A spokesman added: "A cold front will clear southeastwards during Wednesday introducing cold conditions across England for the next few days.

"Snow showers will affect most areas at times through the rest of this week and over the weekend with locally significant accumulations in places, particularly for hilly areas in the north.

"Showers and overnight frosts also bring the risk of icy stretches forming on untreated surfaces. Strong winds will accentuate the cold feel at times although it is likely to prevent any extremely low overnight minimum temperatures. At this stage the cold weather looks like it will persist until at least the early part of next week."