The UK could be set for a chilly and disruptive start to the new year, with forecasts predicting snowy blizzards and temperatures as low as -8C.
The blanket of snow is set to descend across the UK early next month (Image: WXCharts)
The UK is bracing for a chilly start to 2026, with weather maps showing a 537-mile wall of snow set to descend across the country in early January. Those planning New Year’s Day walks may have to wrap up tight, as forecasts from WXCharts show conditions taking a turn for the icier at the beginning of next month, with temperatures plunging below 0C. While the mercury is set to drop towards the end of December, and stay low as we enter the new year, a blitz of snow could also take hold from Sunday, January 4, potentially wreaking travel havoc in a number of regions.
The snowfall appears largely confined to the eastern UK coast, stretching from the tip of northern Scotland down to Lincolnshire, and creeping across to Staffordshire and Shropshire by 6pm on January 4. The wintry blizzards are set to be heaviest near Aberdeen and near Newcastle, where depths could reach 5cm, while temperatures plunge to around -6C.
The blitz of cold and snowy weather will continue into the first week of January (Image: WXCharts)
Maps produced by WXCharts show the seasonal weather continuing into Monday, January 5, with snow depths of between 5cm and 10cm accumulating on Scotland and the north east coast of England.
They also show patches of snowfall around London in the southeast by around 6am, accompanied by a rainy front moving in from the south.
The mercury is similarly set to remain low in the first few days of 2026, with the whole of the UK painted blue as temperatures dip below 0C, dropping to -8C in northern Scotland and southern England.
The Met Office‘s forecast for early January also predicts “a small chance of unsettled and wet weather” developing, especially in northern areas, with an increasing likelihood of “changeable” conditions towards the middle and end of the month.
It comes after the national weather agency delivered its verdict on whether Christmas Day will meet the ‘white Christmas’ threshold, suggesting there is “just a chance” of festive snow flurries for those on the south coast of England.
New weather maps show temperatures of below 0C sweeping the UK next month (Image: WXCharts)
The Met Office’s five day weather forecast:
Today:
Drizzly in northern areas but largely dry and cloudy for the rest of the country, with some sunshine in the west. Temperatures set to drop thanks to a cold wind in the south later in the day.
Tonight:
Mostly dry and cloudy, with a few outbreaks of rain west of hilly regions, and breezy in regions away from the north.
Wednesday:
Some sunshine in the south and west, with dry and cloudy conditions across the board elsewhere. Winds picking up for most of England and Wales, with cooler air temperatures than earlier in the week.
Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:
Sunny spells and cloud set to characterise the Christmas period, with generally dry conditions and cold winds. Frosts expected overnight.
