The Met Office has weather warnings in place today, including one for rain across south Wales and another covering Cumbria and Lancashire, as it forecast bleak conditions

The current wintry cold weather appears set to continue into December, as snow returns to parts of the UK and temperatures plunge to a bitter -6 °C. New weather maps from WXCHARTS, which uses MetDesk data, have revealed a period of unsettled weather beginning in mere hours.

Wet weather and cold Arctic air are expected to bring ‘difficult, slippery conditions’ to the UK today, the Met Office said, with snow possible in some northern parts of the country.

Up to nine inches of snow could hit parts of the UK next week according to the latest weather maps showing the snow forecast - see the five worst-hit countries

Parts of the UK are set to be blasted by snow this week, with the bitterly cold weather spreading as far as Manchester. The latest weather maps from WXCHARTS indicate that several areas in the Midlands and Northwest England are expected to experience snowfall.

Cold weather warnings are now in effect across Scotland as icy conditions persist. The Met Office has issued yellow alerts for ice and snow across almost the entire country, excluding parts of the east and west coasts,

The last white Christmas in the UK was in 2023, when 11 percent of the Met Office’s weather stations recorded snow falling, but none of it settled. Early forecasts suggest snow is going to be unlikely on December 25.