How long will the cold weather last?

ByHelen Willetts

Lead Weather Presenter

Wintry weather is set to make a comeback across the UK as Arctic air sends temperatures into the single digits with blustery winds and snow for some.

There are warnings for snow in place across central and north-west Scotland where 2 to 5cm of snow is expected fairly widely, even at lower levels. There is also the potential for around 10cm in places above about 350 metres.

Wintry scenes are also possible over the hills of Northern Ireland, the English Lakes and the Pennines.

Through the day there will be a mix of sunny spells with blustery showers - with hail and thunder also possible. The turbulent atmosphere means there could well be some fabulous clouds, along with odd rainbow.

It is likely to start frosty for northern areas and temperatures across the day will struggle to reach double figures accept in south-eastern areas.

Although not quite as windy as it was on Thursday, the blustery wind will accentuate the chilly feel and the winds will be particularly squally around the showers.

The Met Office yellow warning for snow and ice across central and northwest Scotland is in place until 09:00 GMT.

The cold is set to last into the weekend with a couple of nights of frost across Scotland and Northern Ireland expected.

By day, temperatures will be a little below average.

Saturday looks set to start on a frosty note but with plenty of sunshine. Showers will develop, becoming more numerous by the afternoon but not catching everywhere. With less wind in the forecast it will feel pleasant in the sunshine

Sunday's showers look more numerous with generally more cloud and wind but therefore less frost. By Sunday night there is a renewed chance of these showers turning wintry in the north.

The colder air hangs about until early next week at which point the weather will then gradually turn a little milder with temperatures recovering to a little above the mid March average.

For the weather hour-by-hour where you are check online or via the BBC Weather app.

The temperature across the UK is mainly determined by the source of our air and the wind direction.

We can link the cold back to the US where this week warm air from the Gulf of Mexico clashed with cold air from the Arctic, generating deadly storms with tornadoes and record-breaking hail in Illinois.

This sharp temperature contrast resulted in a strengthening jet stream - strong winds high in the atmosphere which travels eastward into the North Atlantic.

Racing across the Atlantic with wind speeds more than 200mph, the powerful jet stream has helped develop a deep area of low pressure currently sitting near to Iceland.

This swept across the UK on Thursday drawing down cold Arctic air behind it.