UK weather: Snow falls less than 24 hours after 17C Easter sunshine

5 April 2021, 10:32 | Updated: 5 April 2021, 19:35

Parts of the UK were blanketed with snow today as an Artic wind caused temperatures to plummet on Easter Monday.

The weather swung from temperatures around 17C yesterday to snowy conditions today, with snow falling in the Scottish Highands, Gateshead, Northumberland, County Durham and even as far south as parts of north London.

Monday's temperatures are expected to be up to 11C lower than during the sunshine of the Easter weekend as cold northern winds move over the country.

Parts were expected to see the mercury fall to as low as -7C (19.4F) overnight as forecasters warn the country faces a "bitterly cold" day.

Highs of 17.9C (64.2F) were recorded in Pershore, Worcestershire, on Easter Sunday.

The town is expected to see temperatures of 7C (44.6F) on Monday, an 11C fall.

Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: "There'll be a drop of 11 degrees between one day and the next, so you will definitely notice it!"

Mr Partridge explained that a change of wind direction would bring a change in the atmosphere, leading to chilly weather.

He said: "The air we had on Sunday came in from the south so it's pretty mild having come off the continent.

"Overnight we'll see a cold front moving southward across the country, it's already across northern Scotland, and it'll push its way southward overnight.

"That will introduce much, much colder air across the whole country."

Sub-zero temperatures are expected in parts of northern England, while the mercury could drop to -7C in some areas of Scotland.

Snow warnings are in place for northern Scotland, with as much as 15cm falling in higher areas.

Other areas will see snowfall of 1 to 2cm.

The Met Office has said that while snow showers will largely be seen in the North and North West, they could occur nearly anywhere in the UK early in the week.

On Monday morning, sleet was seen as far south as Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

Met Office yellow warnings are in place until 10am on Tuesday for Scotland, with winds of up to 70mph forecast.

The east and west coasts of the country are likely to see a "wintry mix" of showers, which may include some hail.

Areas away from the coast are expected to be dry and bright on Monday, but with strong winds and below average temperatures, largely in the mid-single figures.

The wind will play a key factor in Monday's weather, as while southern England may see highs of up to 7C, gusts up to 30mph may make the temperature feel closer to freezing.

Average temperatures for this time of year are around 10 to 12C but parts of the UK saw the mercury reach nearly 24C (75.2F) on Wednesday.