Britain’s taste of spring has been abruptly replaced by a biting return to winter, as a cold snap driven by Arctic winds sweeps across the country, bringing snow, hail, and icy blasts to regions from London to the Scottish Highlands. After a fleeting spell of warmth that saw temperatures soar above 20C in mid-March—a rare treat for this time of year, according to the Met Office—residents have found themselves reaching for jumpers and heavy coats once again.
On Wednesday, March 25, Londoners were startled by sudden hailstorms and even lightning, as Arctic air surged into the capital. The temperature plummeted from 10C to 7C in just an hour that afternoon, before dipping to 1C overnight. Across the UK, highs hovered between 5C and 10C, but stiff northwesterly winds made it feel much colder, with some places experiencing a chill akin to freezing. Rural Scotland, in particular, braced for lows as frigid as -5C, while hail and icy pellets pelted areas from Devon to the city streets of London, according to The Evening Standard.
The Met Office confirmed that snow settled up to 6cm deep in Tulloch Bridge and 2cm in Aviemore, painting a wintry picture in parts of Scotland. As the cold front advanced, it delivered a mix of rain, sleet, and snow to large swathes of the country. The sudden switch from last week’s balmy highs—caused by a persistent high-pressure system and Foehn-like winds descending from higher terrain—was, as Deputy Chief Forecaster Steven Keates put it, “quite a shock to the system.”
“After a spell of mild and brighter weather, the UK will turn increasingly unsettled in the coming days. A series of weather fronts will bring periods of rain, strong winds and much colder air by midweek,” Keates told The Evening Standard. “Wednesday could be quite a shock to the system. Temperatures will range from 6C to 10C, but it will feel closer to low single figures for many areas in the wind. Wintry showers are likely, especially over higher ground in the north, and a widespread frost—with icy patches for some—is possible on Wednesday night. It should be a little milder again by the end of the week, with many areas seeing another spell of rain on Friday.”
Indeed, the Met Office’s five-day forecast painted a picture of unsettled weather, with wintry showers easing in northeast Scotland by Thursday morning, before clouds, rain, and strengthening winds reached Northern Ireland and western Scotland. Thursday was expected to be milder than Wednesday, but still feeling rather cold. Overnight, widespread cloud and rain were forecast, especially over western hills, with clearer skies and showers reaching northwest Scotland later.
By Friday, rain was set to push southeastwards through the day, bringing sunnier skies in the North but cooler temperatures and wintry showers. The weekend outlook promised little respite for sun-seekers. Saturday would bring sunny spells and showers—wintry and windy further north—while Sunday was expected to see heavy rain followed by brighter, showery, and windy weather. Monday looked mostly dry before cloud and patchy rain returned.
Adding to the confusion, British Summer Time (BST) begins on Sunday, March 29, with clocks jumping forward an hour, granting an extra hour of daylight but not, unfortunately, an extra degree of warmth. As The Mirror noted, “Britons may be needing jumpers and heavy coats” as the Bank Holiday approaches, with the cold snap threatening to linger into April.
Early forecasts for the Easter Bank Holiday weekend (March 28–31) suggest that Britain could be facing a White Easter, with long-range charts indicating temperatures at or below freezing and a risk of snow, especially in Scotland and northern England. Jim Dale of British Weather Services told The Express, “Next week it looks like we are going back into a northerly, and that means more changeable weather and probably staying cold, but largely dry. April is a changeable month, but the cold looks like winning out at the moment for the Easter weekend. However, it is early days, and this could change nearer the time with the models producing something warmer.”
The Met Office’s long-range outlook for Easter favors an unsettled period with strong winds and rain arriving from the Atlantic, though high pressure may build towards early April, helping temperatures recover. “A broadly changeable pattern will continue, at least through the first part of this period, as further frontal systems move across parts of the UK, bringing rain and stronger winds at times. High pressure is likely to become increasingly dominant with more settled conditions perhaps becoming more prevalent. In this setup, temperatures will probably pan out close to average overall, with some overnight frost where skies are clear and winds light,” a Met Office spokesperson said.
Snow is forecast across Scotland, northern England, and Wales on Saturday, March 28, with early morning flurries expected to move south through central Scotland and into the Greater Manchester area by 8 to 9 am, according to Manchester Evening News. Rochdale, Oldham, and Tameside are likely to see the heaviest snowfall, while Manchester, Bolton, and Stockport could experience wintry showers. Elsewhere, rain is expected to dominate.
Overnight temperatures have been particularly harsh, with lows of -4C recorded in rural Scotland on March 25. While Thursday night is expected to be milder, with lows of 3C in Scotland and 4C in England and Northern Ireland, the mercury is set to drop again on Friday night, with lows of 1C forecast for northern England and central Scotland. The Midlands, East Anglia, Wales, the Scottish Borders, the Highlands, and parts of southern England are all set for overnight lows between -2C and -3C by April 2, based on WXCharts data cited by The Mirror. Only Cornwall is likely to buck the trend, with highs up to 7C expected.
Gardeners have been warned by the Met Office to “bring inside” any plants that were put out during last week’s warmth, as widespread frost and icy patches are likely to damage tender shoots. Meteorologist Clare Nasir explained that Thursday would begin “sub-zero across many areas and yes, a few showers in the mix. Certainly, these showers will be frequent across Shetland, Orkney through the first part of the morning. A mix of rain, hail, as well as snow.”
Looking further ahead, the Met Office’s long-range forecast running through April 8 suggests high pressure to the southwest will likely dominate, leading to a “blocked pattern” where weather fronts affect northern parts with wet and windy weather, while the south sees drier and more settled conditions. Temperatures are expected to be near or a little above average overall, with some colder interludes and wintry showers in the north.
March in the UK is always a bit of a weather wild card, with sunshine, rain, sleet, and snow sometimes all in the same day. The nation’s geography only adds to the unpredictability, as coastal and lowland areas tend to warm faster, while northern and upland regions remain more prone to wintry spells. With the clocks going forward and Easter on the horizon, Britons can only hope that spring’s true warmth isn’t far behind—but for now, it’s back to hats, scarves, and keeping an eye on the ever-changeable skies.