Met Office confirms snow is forecast as temperatures plunge to icy -2C

is forecast to fall as soon as this weekend, the has this morning confirmed.

A northerly airflow will develop over the weekend, bringing colder Arctic air to some northern areas, forecasters say. It means snow is on the cards, particularly across northern England and parts of .

It comes as forecasters with , but now it appears the Met Office understands snowfall will arrive sooner - in the coming days.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Mark Sidaway said: "In addition to increased rainfall, which could be heavy at times on Sunday, temperatures will also drop, especially for those in Scotland, as a northerly airflow develops, bringing colder Arctic air to some northern areas.

"This shift does introduce the possibility of snow, initially over high ground in the north from Sunday, with gusty winds also a potential hazard. There is a lot of uncertainty by Sunday, but there remain a number of scenarios which could bring some more widespread rain, along with some hill snow and stronger winds. Warnings for winter hazards are possible later in the weekend, so it’s important to stay up to date with the latest forecast."

High pressure, , will gradually subside in the next few days and allow winds to start to come in from the north or northwest.

Mr Sidaway added: "The high pressure that has been responsible for the mainly dry through much of this week will retrogress into the Atlantic as we get towards the weekend. This will gradually introduce more unsettled weather, initially in the north from Friday but more widely from Sunday."

The heaviest of the rain on Sunday is expected across the Midlands, notably Derbyshire and Staffordshire, but counties further north will be more prone to snowfall. It will also be cold enough for snow into next week with lows of -1C expected in North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire. It follows a bitterly cold start to this week, during which the mercury dipped to -2.6C in Braemar, Aberdeenshire and -2.5C in Shap, Cumbria.