UK faces 48-hour snow storm with eight counties set for 8cm dumping

The UK faces being pummelled by snowfall with a swathe of countries struck by 3cm of the white stuff next week. 3cm per hour is anticipated as we head through the final month of the year and towards Christmas, with Cumbria, Northumberland, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire and Lancashire most at risk, alongside Lanarkshire, Midlothian and Aberdeenshire.

The maps and charts from WX Charts, which are projected using Met Desk data, speculates flurries could begin around December 11, and last for 48 hours, with up to 8cm at times in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, which will be worst-hit.

Looking ahead at December 13 to December 27, the Met Office forecast detailed: "Across the south of the country, high pressure is signalled to be prevalent through the second half of December. Less settled weather is more likely at times though, especially across the north and west.

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"This means wetter and windier spells are possible with a risk of some snow, especially across northern hills. These weather systems are expected to move fairly promptly, with settled spells developing between them, with settled conditions perhaps becoming UK-wide. As a result of these, frost and fog will be notably present where skies clear overnight.

"Temperatures generally close to average through the period, or slightly above in areas which are wet and windy." Discussing how the period will be "unsettled", the BBC Weather team advised: "There is only a small amount of variability in weather patterns in the period ahead. A quite active and mostly mild North Atlantic pattern could continue over much of the UK meaning that spells of wind and rain are likely. Any high pressure influence would be rather temporary.

"However there could be occasions when a colder north-westerly flow develops, consistent with the centre of low pressure moving towards the eastern North Atlantic. As a result, temperatures could be a little lower at times, especially in Northern Ireland and Scotland with a possibility of occasional wintry precipitation, even at lower levels."