-6C Arctic ice bomb to hit UK within days as sunny spell ends (2025)

The UK has been basking in a glorious sunny spell in recent weeks but that is all about to change with a huge Arctic ice bomb set to smash into the nation, sending temperatures plummeting to as low as minus 6C

Britain's balmy spell is about to come to an abrupt end as a 350-mile-wide Arctic blast of snow and ice hurtles towards the country, live weather charts warn.

The past fortnight's unbroken sunshine, courtesy of a lingering continental weather system, will soon be a distant memory, with a massive cold air mass expected to sweep in from Wednesday, April 16. Temperatures will plummet to as low as -6C in parts of Scotland, while central and western Scotland face a high chance of snowfall, with the Highlands potentially seeing several centimetres fall hourly.

England won't be spared the chill, as Cumbria and the Lake District may also experience a flurry, according to WXCharts' weather maps, compiled using Metdesk data.

However, the Met Office forecast warns that some Scottish regions can expect stormy weather in the coming days, on top of snow.

The Highlands and Eilean Siar region are bracing for a week that starts on Monday with "a mixture of sunny intervals and showers, some on the heavy side with hail and thunder, and snow on the mountains".

From Tuesday to Thursday, wrap up warm for "night frosts" and catch some rays during "a bright few days with some sunny spells, along with one or two showers. A small chance of some more persistent rain in the east".

The Met Office has warned of a "mixed bag" for the UK, predicting a plunge in temperatures and a splash of rain on the horizon.

Snow might just fancy a flutter on the mountaintops.

This switch-up could be a sigh of relief for some UK spots, what with the fire brigade duking it out with hefty wildfires during the recent dry spell.

According to the Express, Met Office's own Craig Snell said: "It is going to be a more changeable week this week compared to what we have been used to for the last two to three weeks."

"High pressure has gone away now and we're just going to be firmly under the influence of low pressure as we go through the week ahead. It's not going to be a complete washout - we will see some further sunnier moments, but most of the UK will see some rain at some point."

And here's your Met Office national five-day forecast:.

Expect a mishmash of clear spells and showers, with the wet stuff still loving life mostly in the west, maybe even chucking in some hail and thunder for good measure. Easterners, you'll likely dodge the worst of it.

As for the night, it's gonna be a bit parky with a touch of frost in those sheltered rural nooks.

A more organised band of showers is set to move eastwards before stalling across parts of Britain. Expect some locally heavy rain with a risk of thunder.

However, it will be drier and warmer in the southeast. The weather will continue to be changeable with sunny spells and further showers, which could be heavy and at times merge into longer periods of rain. Temperatures will hover around the seasonal average, though it may get chilly at night.