UK Snow: Maps show where '2cm per hour' will fall as 'half of Britain surrounded'

Half of the nation could be engulfed by snow, according to WX Charts' latest data - which suggests swathes of Britain could see the mercury plummet to freezing

Snow is set to fall "2cm every hour" and blanket Britain in the coming days, with purple weather maps showing exactly what areas will turn white.

Half of the nation could be engulfed by snow, according to WX Charts' latest data, which suggests swathes of Britain could see the mercury plummet to freezing on November 7. Scotland is set to bear the brunt of the icy blast, with a blanket of snow enveloping the region.

Areas including Wick, Inverness, and Aberdeen are expected to be hit hardest, potentially seeing snowfall rates of 1-2cm per hour, as per the weather agency's predictions. It comes as several UK towns were told to brace for a 150-mile-long snow blast as early as Halloween weekend. Areas in the firing line of northwest Scotland include Talmine, Tongue, Lairg, Ullapool, Dingwall, Garve, Fort Augustus, and Mallaig.

Weighing in on November's snow prospects, the BBC's Weather team said: "Friday's outlook may provide a little more clarity regarding the patterns that will prevail at from the beginning of November. At present, the long-range weather prediction models are still showing conflicting trends."

"Conditions are likely to turn more unsettled and windy for the rest of this week, with temperatures dropping sharply. The outlook for next week has become milder and a bit calmer, with occasional dry spells, although there is still a risk of colder conditions breaking through at some point later next week or so."

Looking further ahead, the Met Office's forecast starting November 6 suggests a shift in the UK's overarching weather patterns as we head into mid-November, with high pressure that's been hovering over nearby continental regions expected to drift towards the north or northwest of the UK, reports Birmingham Live.

The forecaster said: "This may allow areas of low pressure, south-shifted from their more typical tracks, to approach southern UK and bring rain or showers at times. As a result, after a relatively dry start to the month in the south and east it is likely to become wetter than average here, while conversely northwestern areas, after a wetter start to the month, will tend to revert to drier than average conditions."

"Temperatures will probably be close to average for much of this period as a whole, although some colder interludes are possible."