What next for UK weather after snow and ice this week?
Springs and winters in the UK are getting warmer and wetter, experts tell Yahoo News - but there might be some more snow and ice in store in the coming weeks.
This weekend saw the coldest weather of the season with -13.3C recorded in Loch Glascarnoch and the forecast predicts it could get even colder in the next few days.
The Met Office forecasts that this week will see hail, sleet or snow affecting most of the UK, with temperatures continuing to be very chilly going as low as -16C in parts of Scotland.
But after this cold snap, what weather is likely to come next?
Springs and winters in the UK are getting warmer and wetter with long-range forecasts predicting January will become more mild as it progresses, although we may not have seen the last of the snow.
Yahoo News spoke to Dr Matthew Patterson of the University of Reading, who said that this week's weather is not unusual.
Dr Patterson said: "The UK has experienced a relatively chilly start to 2025, largely driven by cold northerly winds. This wind pattern has resulted from a high-pressure 'blocking' system over Greenland, redirecting the flow of air upstream.
"However, the arrival of a low-pressure system on Sunday brought more unsettled and warmer conditions, with temperatures here in Reading rising from -2C on Saturday night to 12C on Sunday at midday.
"Whilst this is a noticeably large swing in temperatures, neither of these values is unusual for the time of year.
He said snow and ice to be seen in parts of the west until Tuesday and the southern parts of the UK until Wednesday.
What does the Met Office long-range forecast say?
The weather will turn from sleet and snow to rain by the weekend, with the strongest showers predicted in the west.
Moving into the middle of the month the Met Office predicts high pressure over the country will lead to more normal weather conditions over the coming weeks. Rain and showers are still expected but not causing the adverse conditions seen in recent days.
But the snow may not entirely be gone, with the Met Office saying: "There are likely to be some incursions of milder, windier, more unsettled conditions from the Atlantic at times, especially towards the north and west of the UK.
"These may be preceded by a spell of snow over higher ground and followed by some wintry showers."
According to the Met Ofice, later in the month and up to early February, the weather is likely to be mostly dry and around 4C, which is average for this time of year.
They said there will be an ongoing risk of frost and fog wherever there are clear skies.
What is the rest of the winter likely to be like?
Broadly speaking, winters in the UK are getting warmer, said Dr Patterson.
He told Yahoo News: "Due to climate change, UK winters are now about 0.6C warmer than in the 1990s."
The Met Office said that climate change is driving an ongoing trend for warmer, wetter winters and springs. Warmer air can hold more moisture: roughly 7% more per 1°C of warming.
Five of the 10 wettest years for the UK in the series from 1836 have occurred in the 21st Century, according to Met Office statistics.
Met Office spokesperson Andrea Bishop said: “Climate projections indicate that on average, winters will become wetter and summers drier, though natural variability will mean we will continue to see individual years that don’t follow this trend.
“This can lead to more intense and frequent downpours. A recent attribution study has shown that climate change has made rainfall during storms more intense through the autumn and winter.”
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