UK weather: Met Office warns of snow to fall in just hours as showers turn wintry with freezing cold winds

SNOW is set to fall in just hours as Brits are warned of biting winds and heavy rain.

Large parts of the UK have been told to prepare for more stormy and unsettled weather arriving tonight, according to the Met Office.

Met Office meteorologists have forecast wintery showers in Scotland that will turn to snow as temperatures plummet.

Andrea Bishop, Met Office spokesperson, said: “There is not a signal for impactful snow in the current forecast.

"Some showers in parts of Scotland today could turn wintry, but mostly at elevations over 400 metres.

"By the end of Saturday, more showers will push into Eastern Scotland, bringing some further upland snow and the same on Sunday, with some lying snow of a couple of centimetres over Scottish mountains above 600/700 metres.

"This is not unusual for the time of year.

"Any of that lying snow will then start to disappear as the new week begins.”

On Saturday hail is forecast from 6am, stretching down to north eastern England and Wales by the evening.

It is due to be accompanied by a large band of heavy rain lashing the Midlands and south of England.

This pattern of unsettled and stormy weather is predicted to move northwards through to Sunday, with the majority of the UK set to be affected by torrential downpours.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said in a forecast: "It's going to be a wet note we end on this week, most southern areas are expected to see some rain at times, both on Saturday and Sunday.

"We are going to have some brisk, or even strong easterly wins leading to a bit of a wind chill particularly in northern parts."

The Met Office long range forecast from Sunday to Tuesday predicts: "Rain becoming more widespread on Sunday.

"Turning drier from the west through Monday, and winds easing.

"Dry for most on Tuesday, before rain and cloud arrives from the west later."

It comes as much of the UK woke up to frost and fog yesterday and saw blustery gales with heavy bursts of rain throughout the day.

Showers continued through the night, while temperatures took a dive in northern Scotland.

Up to 4mm of snow was expected to fall over high areas of northern Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Just last week, the Met Office warned of travel chaos as snow fell and heavy rain soaked parts of the UK.

Heavy snow fell in parts of Cumbria, with many waking to a total whiteout.

And, snow coated the ground as far south as Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire, where camels appeared out of place.

Brits also woke up to an bone-chilling -3C in parts of Scotland and southern Wales a few days later.

While the Met Office warned of ice after the mercury dipped to an icy -4.6 in Benson, Oxfordshire.