UK faces 'catastrophic' weather this winter as it becomes 'harder to predict'

Cold weather has gripped the UK today as thousands of Brits woke up to snow - despite forecasts initially predicting it would fall on Thursday. The has issued three yellow weather alerts for snow and ice covering the midlands, northern England, parts of Northern Ireland, and north east Wales.

With over 200 schools closed, many have been left wondering if the worst of it is over. But one weather expert predicts there could be "blizzards" in a matter of days, with more "catastrophic weather events" on the way.

Speaking to the , Jim Dale says: "In the last 20 years, it's become a lot harder to predict the weather." Jim, also a climate change activist, says the change in temperature is contributing to unexpected weather events globally.

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He explains: "We are starting to see unexpected occurrences. It wouldn’t surprise me if we saw piles of snow in the near future.

"We [meteorologists] have started to factor in these chaotic events. We need to accept a period in human history where these unexpected events and potentially catastrophic events could occur."

Jim says that while the snow will subside throughout the afternoon and evening, more could be on the way as early as Saturday for parts of . He says: "The next major change is Saturday which will see a frontal system from the south west.

"Wind will pick up, the rain will arrive and it will be rain for most of the UK but where it meets cold air, there could also be sleet and snow. As the air reaches Scotland, that’s where you might get blizzards."

Calling today's snow a "rare weather event" for this time of year, he says it will likely cause icy conditions over the next three days, with temperatures dropping as low as -10C in parts of the UK. "The vast majority of the UK will get ice," he says.

"We could be seeing -10C in some areas of the UK. Those are the temperatures we can expect in the glens and valleys - especially over the mountains and highlands because it's so cold."

Monday night saw sub-zero temperatures for much of the UK, reaching as low as -11.2°C at Braemar in Aberdeenshire. The Met Office have warned "winter hazards" will be present for most of the week.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist Neil Armstrong says: "With cold Arctic air firmly in place over the UK, continued winter hazards are likely through much of this week, with further updates to warnings likely in the coming days. The current focus for upcoming snow and ice risk is from later on Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday, with snow showers likely moving in off windward coasts in the north and east, as well as drifting into parts of Northern Ireland and Wales.

"In excess of 10cm of snow is possible over higher ground within the warning areas, with 1-2cm possibly settling at lower levels, which has the potential to lead to some travel disruption. Ice is an additional hazard and is likely to form quickly on untreated surfaces."

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