Forecasters warn of 'snow blast' as 5 UK areas set to be worst hit

It's not the news anybody wanted...

A "huge wall of snow" could potentially hit the UK, with England and Wales expected to bear the brunt of the cold weather. The Met Office has warned of a significant drop in temperatures in October, with WX Charts' latest maps indicating a wintry shift in the weather.

According to forecasts powered by Met Desk data, snow is expected to fall, with weather expert Jim Dale labelling the event as "one to watch". The snow is predicted to cover most of Wales, stretching to Birmingham, the Cotswolds, and as far south as Southampton, as well as the Lake District and Pennines.

The peak of the snowy blast is expected to hit around October 11, with Dale explaining that it is the result of the cold air from ex-hurricane Kirk, which may have become Storm Ashley. He added: "As it moves through England and Wales and out into the North Sea on October 11 and October 12, that cold air surges in behind giving the potential of some temporary wet snow especially over higher ground. However, long ways to go with the steerage on all of that and strong winds/heavy rain from that system are likely to be the first points of concern."

The Met Office has released a forecast highlighting the rough conditions expected in the coming week, saying: "An Atlantic low pressure system will drift eastwards across the UK through the first part of next week. This will bring widely unsettled conditions, with showers or longer spells of rain, heavy and persistent at times, especially over hills. Strong winds are possible too, with exposed and windward coastal areas prone to the strongest winds."

They also noted that the unpredictable weather isn't subsiding anytime soon, saying: "The theme of low pressure will continue to dominate the weather for the rest of the week, with showers or longer spells of rain. There is a possibility that a deeper low pressure system, ex-Hurricane Kirk, will move close to the UK around mid-week, bringing further spells of wet and windy weather. Alternatively, this system could remain to the west of the UK. However, the theme of unsettled weather is expected to prevail," reports the Mirror.