A band of heavy snow could cause disruption later this week in Ireland and Britain, with as much as 20cm possible in some areas of England and Wales.
Temperatures will drop as the week goes on, with Met Éireann forecasting frost and icy stretches and the possibility of wintry falls of sleet or snow at times across Ireland.
The UK Met Office has warned that a period of snowfall could bring some disruption on Thursday and into Friday morning for Northern Ireland.
It has also issued a snow warning which covers much of Wales as well as northern and central England.
The warning runs from 3am on Thursday to 3am on Friday and stretches from Cumbria and the Scottish border down to Cambridgeshire and the Midlands in England.
All of northern and central Wales, including the isle of Anglesey, is included in the warning.
A clash of air masses will occur across the UK this week
❄️ Some disruptive snow is likely on the boundary of the cold and mild air on Thursday but at this point it's quite uncertain where the heaviest snow will be pic.twitter.com/GGG4zHQJ9Z— Met Office (@metoffice) February 5, 2024
There is a risk of power cuts, travel delays and some rural communities becoming cut off, the forecaster said.
The snow will ease later in the day, and may turn back to rain or drizzle, especially in the south and east.
There is uncertainty with respect to the rain-snow boundary, and the northern limit of the snow, the Met Office said.
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Chris Almond said: “While the early part of this week will see some rain, at times heavy, gradually sinking southwards, there’s an increased signal for wintry hazards as we move through the week as cold air from the north moves over the UK.
“It’s from Thursday that the snow risk becomes more potentially impactful, as mild air attempts to move back in from the south, bumping into the cold air and increasing the chance of snow developing on the leading edge.
“While there are still lots of details to work out, the initial snow risk looks highest in northern England and Wales from Thursday.”
The snow will turn into sleet and rain towards the end of the warning period from the south.
Further warnings for ice could also be issued later in the week as temperatures drop below average for this time of year, the forecaster said.
